Alternative love
by MrsLMB
Summary: After a fight with Embry, Bella finds herself wondering if she made the right choice in marrying Embry. Would she have been happier with Jake, her best friend? What happens when Bella finds herself in an alternative life, married to Jacob? Who will make her happy and who will she ultimately choose? For mature readers only. B/E HEA
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi guys. It's been a while, but I guess inspiration struck me again. This story will be an Embrella HEA, but I'm warning you that Jacob will feature in this story quite a bit.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all it's recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 1 - A state of dreaming**

Bella tapped her foot impatiently and pushed her plate away from her. She wasn't hungry anymore. She huffed as she looked around her at the romantic setting of dimmed lights, long white candles in a multi-stemmed candle stick holder (one that Embry had made her), and her best silverware and plates. The glasses that she'd filled with alcohol-free sparkling wine, were no longer bubbling - a clear sign that she'd been waiting far too long for Embry to come home (three hours, to be exact). She felt like such a fucking idiot.

Embry had obviously forgotten their anniversary.

She had waved it off this morning when he'd left for work without mentioning their two-year anniversary, thinking that he'd probably bought or made her something special for tonight. For their first anniversary, Embry gave her a stunning silver necklace with her birth stone - a beautiful sapphire. To save him the trouble of planning a romantic dinner - which she knew he'd have some trouble with, seeing as he wasn't very good with those sorts of things - she'd gone all out. She cooked a beautiful meal of roast beef, roast potatoes and an assortment of his favorite vegetables. Meat was always the answer when you had a perpetually hungry wolf in the house.

She had thought that tonight would be the perfect night to tell him that she was pregnant – it would be a nice 'gift', so to speak, aside from the new CD player she had bought him for his car (the one he'd been going on and on about for so long). They had planned on getting pregnant, but she had been really surprised that it had happened so quickly.

... _and_ _yet_ , here she was, sitting by herself, waiting like a fool for her husband to come home.

The sound of a key in the front door made Bella look up. Embry was finally home - her eyes flicked briefly to the clock against the wall - at a quarter to ten. She waited as she heard his muffled footsteps and the door closing behind him. A few more steps yielded a shirtless man with ruffled hair, grass stains on his cut-offs and a back-pack with his work clothes, slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, babe." Embry greeted her as he walked into the dining room, flicking his hair out of his face with a shake of his head. Bella suppressed the urge to lick her lips and just give in to the drop-dead gorgeous man standing in front of her, as his eyes flickered enticingly, speaking promises of lust and ecstasy. Instead, Bella looked away, biting her lip. She directed her scowl at her folded hands resting on the table, instead of at him, the source of her ire.

"Hi." She replied in a clipped tone, still not looking at him.

"What's all this?" He asked, taking a few steps toward her and resting his warm hand on her shoulder. Bella finally gave in and looked up at him, waiting for him to realize the meaning behind the table that was set for two. Obviously still completely oblivious to the occasion, he rewarded her with his best, crooked smile. "Did we have a date night scheduled?"

"Anniversary, actually." She answered through pursed lips, pushed her chair back and got up. She was tired beyond belief, and irritated even more - probably because of the pregnancy hormones. Screw telling him the news tonight. She'd find a better suited time. "I'm going to bed. I'll clean up tomorrow." She turned around and walked out of the room, leaving a shocked-looking Embry in her wake.

How could he have forgotten about today? She had reminded him over and over, every day for the last week, except yesterday. She didn't want to keep nagging, and she'd been sure that she'd reminded him enough times of their upcoming anniversary, that he couldn't possibly have forgotten. And yet, he did…

* * *

Bella was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, when she felt a pair of warm hands circle her waist.

"Look, I'm sorry babe," Embry apologized in earnest. "Patrol took longer than I thought, and I had a really rough day at work. I didn't mean to forget, I swear."

Bella shook his hands off her and stepped to the side to get away from his warm embrace. Being near him clouded her judgement more often than not, and if she didn't distance herself from him, she'd probably end up letting him drag her to bed and make love to her all night, and she didn't want that right now. She _wanted_ to be angry with him for disappointing her and she wasn't willing to let it slide.

She sighed as squeezed a small streak of toothpaste onto her toothbrush, turned on the tap to wet the bristles and popped it into her mouth. "Em, please," Bella implored around the brush. "Just leave me alone tonight. I'm not in the mood for apologies."

"Come on, Bells. I said I was sorry." He rubbed the rounding of her shoulder, and smoothed his hand down her arm, leaving her panting slightly at the heat he created within her. Why was he so hard to resist? "It wasn't intentional. You know I'm bad with these kinds of things."

"Embry." Bella warned this time, looking up into his eyes that reflected in the mirror, and spraying toothpaste all over the clear surface. "Don't! Just stop."

The beautiful man behind her sighed in exasperation and retreated toward the shower, peeling his cut-offs from his muscular legs and tossing them with deceptive accuracy across the room, landing the jeans easily into the laundry basket. "Fine." He shrugged and leaned into the shower to turn on the water.

Bella swallowed hard at the sight of his naked body, muscles rippling with each deliberate movement, and looked away quickly when he caught her staring.

Embry shook his head and sighed, easing his bulky frame into the shower. "Sometimes I have no idea what is going on in that mind of yours, Bella Call."

* * *

As Bella lay in bed that night, with Embry snoring softly beside her, she wondered to herself if she'd have been happier with Jake. Sure, she and Embry had a bucket load of chemistry and they fell head over heels in love near the end of her senior year of high school, but Jake had always been so reliable. He was her best friend and he has always been there for her. He was the type of guy who'd remember things like anniversaries and birthdays.

Embry was sweet and loyal to her (as far as she knew), sure, but he wasn't the romantic type. He was the kind of guy who could lure her to bed in under two seconds flat with those come-hither eyes of his. She preferred the passion they shared, instead of flowers and gifts, but a little romance here and there wouldn't be unwelcome.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like if she had given in to the advances of her best friend years ago, when he'd told her that he was in love with her.

Bella didn't doubt that she loved Embry. He had her heart from the minute he'd helped her change a flat on her truck, on the shoulder of the road, one wet Wednesday afternoon as she was making her way home from school. She still remembered how her heart had thumped audibly in her ears as he looked at her with those sinful eyes and had fallen for him right there and then. But Embry was essentially a 'typical' guy. Never any good with flowers and special occasions, and that was fine. Bella knew what she was signing up for. He was down-to-earth and honest. He was a practical man with a straight forward approach to life, and whatever he lacked for in the romance department, he more than made up for in the bedroom (or any surface they could find, for that matter). He could make her tremble and orgasm for hours; make her beg for mercy when her body couldn't handle anymore pleasure, but she worried that he was falling out of love with her. He seemed distracted lately, and she wasn't sure if it was just the fact that he was worn out form work and patrol, or if there was someone else that she didn't know about. Maybe she should have been smart and gone for Jake – gone for the easier option. Would she have been happy with Jake? Happier than she was with Embry? Was it enough to love her husband? Or did she want more?

* * *

Bella squeezed her eyes shut as the morning light bled in through the gap in the curtains, threatening to blind her. Something had woken her up, she just wasn't quite sure what.

A warm hand trailed over Bella's thigh and grabbed her by the hip, grinding a hot, hard erection against her ass. Fingers curled around her hip bone, digging into her pale flesh and tugged her closer to the source of unnatural heat. A deliciously distracting heat - the reason she had woken up.

"Oh, yes." Bella moaned, pushing her ass back against Embry, wanting him to fill her. Despite what happened last night, she struggled to deny him. She wanted the pleasure that he could provide her. Just the thought of him so hot and hard for her, made her wet and ready for him. Her body practically vibrated with anticipation as she waited for his next move.

His warm hands smoothed over her ass, before returning to her hip, and he thrust himself into her as deep as he could go – wait, when did she remove her clothes? – making the both of them moan in satisfaction. Warm breath spilled over her shoulder and into her hair as he tightened his hold on her and increased his thrusts to a brutal, unforgiving pace, hips pounding in and out of her and sending her senses reeling. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as he found her sweet spot, hitting it with each deep push he gave.

"Oh Jesus, yes! Keep going." She moaned, grappling for the sheets and curling her fingers into the cool cotton sheets that covered their bodies.

He let go of her hip and tweaked one of her hard nipples, making her cry out. His lips found the skin of her shoulder, kissing and nipping deliciously toward her spine as he kept up his pace. His hand travelled from her breast, over her side and in between her thighs, fingers searching blindly for her clit – Oh god! And found it! – circling roughly, sending a jolt of electricity through her body.

"More, please. I need-" She moaned, her words getting lost as he pinched her clit, making her cry out. "Ah! Fuck." She felt helpless as her muscles clenched in pleasure, her orgasm shuddering through her body and making her body clamp down around Embry's thick cock.

With a couple more thrusts, he groaned loudly into the skin of her shoulder and emptied himself inside of her with stuttering hips. She was surprised that he came this quickly. He usually let her have more than one orgasm, before he let himself come.

"That was so fucking good." Embry said as Bella tried to settle her heavy breathing. Only…it _wasn't_ Embry. Bella startled at the familiar voice and jerked her head over her shoulder toward the source, spotting Jake behind her.

He grinned his sunny, satisfied smile at her as he pulled out of her, and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand in a loving gesture, no sign of guilt about the fact that he'd just had sex with his best friend's wife. "Don't know 'bout you, but I love waking up like this," He greeted.

How did he end up in her bed in the first place? Or more specifically, how did she end up in his bed? This wasn't her house, she realized, as she looked around the room.

Bella pulled back in shock, toppling off the bed in a tangled mess of sheets.

"What the fuck, Jacob!" She shrieked, looking up at him from the floor where he was still grinning like an idiot, and she struggled to find purchase on a steady surface to pull herself up from the floor. Her fingers gripped the side of the bed and she pushed herself back onto two shaking legs, and hurried to the bathroom without tripping (mercifully), leaving a very naked Jake in the bed, looking perplexed as all hell.

"What's wrong?" Jake's voice bled through the door of the en-suite bathroom as Bella stood with her back against the locked door, wondering what in the name of god just took place. Nothing about this situation made any sense to her and her mind was grabbing at snippets from last night – _anything at all_ – to explain what the two of them just did. What was she going to tell Embry?

 **A/N: Does anyone know what just happened? Or did I leave you guys just as confused as Bella? I would love to hear your thoughts.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey all. Just wanna say thank you for the reviews. And as a side note, I'd like to add that this isn't an imprint story. This is a story about real love between Bella and Embry.**

 **Thanks for reading, as always. xxx**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all it's recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 2 – No closer to the truth**

"Go away, Jake." Bella mumbled and bit down hard on her trembling bottom lip, trying her best not to cry. She was standing in her best friend's bathroom, (one that she knew so well form the many times Embry and she had spent time here) haphazardly wrapped in his bed sheet with his come trailing a sticky streak down her thigh.

What had caused her to betray Embry like this? She would never do something like this to him; she'd never cheat on him. Sure, she had been annoyed – and angry, even – with him, last night, but that surely wasn't reason enough for her to sleep with Jake, was it?

She racked her brain to remember how she had gone from lying next to Embry in bed last night, to naked and having sex with her best friend the next morning. _Their_ best friend.

"Bells," Jake tried again, pleading this time. "Open up, please?"

Bella turned around, turned the key in the lock, and inched open the bathroom door, peaking out through the small crack. "Can you please hand me my clothes from last night?"

"I thought you _liked_ early morning sex?" He frowned. "Is that what this is about? You've never complained before."

"What are you talking about?" Bella asked, mouth agape. When have they ever had sex before? Not to mention morning sex. The way Jake spoke, made it sound like sex was a regular occurrence for them. Something she knew nothing about.

"You know…" He trailed off, scratching his head a little awkwardly. "When I wake you up with sex, you are always _more_ than willing. Even this morning, you spurred me on by rubbing that sexy ass up against me. As I recall, you weren't complaining – like, a _t all_." The son of a bitch grinned in that cocky manner that only he seemed to possess, annoying Bella even more.

"That's not what I meant," She groaned and rolled her eyes in frustration. "You know what? It doesn't matter." She pushed her arm through the door, holding her hand palm up at Jake. "Just get me my clothes, please?"

"Why the privacy, Bells? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before. In fact, I've seen that sexy body of yours over a hundred times before. Probably even more."

Bella wanted to ask Jake what he meant by his comment, but the glint of gold on her left ring finger caught her eye. She was wearing a wedding ring, but it wasn't the one that Embry had given her.

Bella pulled her hand back through the door to inspect it closer, and eyed the diamond ring on her finger with a deep frown.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, Jacob pushed the door open, pulled her into him and cupped her cheek with his large hand. "Are you okay?" He asked and tipped her head up to meet his eyes. He searched her eyes with his own dark brown ones, trying to read her.

"I'm just-" She sighed. "I don't-" She couldn't seem to form a full sentence as her mind whirled to grasp at something concrete. Something real. Cool metal against her cheek made her frown and she grabbed Jacob's left hand and pulled it toward her to get a better look. On his ring finger, he wore a plain golden wedding ring. "Are we married, Jake?"

Jacob laughed heartily at her question, easing his thumb over the frown that puckered her brows. "I should hope so, honey. You've got my name, haven't you?"

"I do?" Bella questioned, searching for his eyes. The playful look that usually flickered in those dark eyes of his, was absent right now, replaced by sincerity and maybe even a hint of concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked again, making Bella feel like she was going a little insane. Maybe she was starting to lose her mind. Or maybe it was something like early onset Alzheimer's (She vaguely remembered hearing something about it on a medical program once). The latter would explain a lot of things.

Bella shook her head and plastered a fake smile on her face, trying to play along with this madness for the time being. "I guess I didn't sleep well last night."

"In that case, I'll let you get cleaned up and dressed, while I make us some coffee." He offered. "Your clothes are on the dressing table chair, where you left them last night, before we-."

"Thanks." Bella nodded sharply, cutting Jacob off. She wasn't sure she could handle anymore details. How the hell was it possible that the two of them were married? What had she done in this life, that lead to Jake and her getting married? Did she not fall in love with Embry? Were they even a couple at any point in time, before she got together with Jake?

* * *

When Bella entered the kitchen, Jake pushed her cup of coffee across the breakfast bar, toward her. "So I've gotta get going in a minute. Patrols." He explained. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Bella grabbed the coffee cup between two hands, hoping like hell that her hands would stop shaking. "Of course I'll be okay," She tried to appease him. The sooner he left her to her thoughts, the sooner she could figure out what was going on. She was desperate for answers.

"Good," He said and chugged the last of his coffee, turning away to rinse the cup in the sink. When he turned back to her, he rounded the counter and pulled her in for a hug. "Love you." He kissed the top of her head and gave her his sunny smile. "See you later." With one last glance at her over his shoulder, he sauntered to the front door and disappeared through it.

Bella sighed and opened the fridge to put away the milk that Jacob had left on the counter, but a picture on the fridge caught her eye. It was one of her and Jacob on a beach, somewhere, with his arm slung around her and his worn-out Yankees cap (something she remembered, at least) pulled low over his sunglasses. Next to Jake, she was smiling adoringly up at him and sporting a large, light blue sun hat and her favorite dark rimmed ray bans. They looked happy. _Really_ happy. But why did it leave her feeling so empty when she looked at the two of them together? Maybe because she was used to seeing pictures like this one, with Embry and her together, rather than Jake and her.

An idea started to form in Bella's head. What if Embry was stuck in the same situation, with no idea what the hell was going on? Surely the two of them could figure out what was going on, together.

With that thought in mind, Bella grabbed the keys to the house, hurried to Jake's and 'her' bedroom to find a pair of shoes to wear, and headed for the door. Another picture caught her eye on the way out. A wedding picture – proof that she was married to Jacob. She made a mental note to give the picture more than a once-over when she returned, but for now, she was on a mission to figure out what the fuck was going on.

Finding Embry's house was no trouble at all. She had walked this dirt road to and from his house many times. Usually, Embry had accompanied her as they visited Jake, but today was different.

Her feet carried her toward the dark brown house that was nestled securely against a thick stand of trees at the edge of the woods. She loved the view of the woods that she had from her kitchen window. She had spent countless days looking through that specific window as she washed the dished, keeping an eye out for Embry as he returned from patrols.

She couldn't help the smile that pulled her lips up at the sides, at the memories. She loved catching his eye through the window as he strolled with that confident, almost cocky gait toward the house, butt naked, with that wild look in his eye, cock locked and loaded – a man on a mission. It was the exception to the rule when he didn't take her to bed when he arrived home. He was always hungry when he arrived from patrols – hungry for food, but even hungrier for her. Bella's stomach did a quick flip as she recalled one of the many times that he'd simply walked in, pulled her pants down, thrust roughly into her and fucked her right there against the kitchen sink – no questions asked.

Standing in front of Embry's house, _their_ house – Oh god, who even knew? – she found herself wondering if she should knock. On the one hand, Embry was her husband after all, but then again, he wasn't. Jacob was.

With a deep breath, Bella knocked on the door, frowning at herself for feeling so discombobulated. She knew Embry better than anyone else, so there was no need to feel nervous, but the whole day had thrown her for a loop since she first opened her eyes this morning. Things were obviously not as they seemed, and she hoped to god that Embry could answer her questions.

The door opened suddenly, revealing a bleary-eyed Embry with sex hair that she loved more than anything. "Bella?" He greeted her with a frown. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you." She explained, and gasped audibly as a tall, blonde beauty pushed past Embry through the door, tugging her skirt into place and hooking her purse over her shoulder.

Embry didn't seem fazed by the fact that there was a woman (with whom he'd most likely had sex, by the looks of the both of them) leaving his house. "Thanks for last night." She winked at him over her shoulder as she traipsed past Bella, shot a disdainful look her way, and headed down the stairs.

As soon as the woman was out of earshot, Bella tore into Embry. "You're sleeping with her? How could you?"

"Of course I am." Embry supplied, looking very confused. "Why wouldn't I? She's hot."

"What about us?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Bella? What do you mean, _us_?"

It took a minute for Bella to realize how fucked up her reality really was. This version of Embry was obviously not in love with her, and they were definitely not married – something that became glaringly obvious at the lack of a wedding ring on his finger.

"Are you okay? Do you need me to call Jake?" He asked, squeezing her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

This wasn't the first time today that someone had asked her this question. It seemed like she was the only one who had no idea what was going on. Bella shook her head. "No. It's fine. Sorry for interrupting…" She turned away from him and headed down the steps, wondering how she was going to sort out this mess.

There was only one person to whom she could talk right now. Leah.

Making her decision to go seek out her friend, she headed toward the Clearwater residence. There was a good chance that Leah didn't live there anymore – in Bella's 'alternate' universe, Leah was married to Quil – and god only knew with whom her friend was paired up in this reality. Maybe she'd find Sue there – she'd be Bella's best bet to tell her where Leah was.

The front door of the house in question, was standing open, guarded only by a flimsy-looking screen door. This was a sure sign that someone was at home, and it gave her hope.

Hurrying two steps at a time up the wrap-around porch where she had spent so many nights with Leah, drinking wine and talking about anything and everything, she shuffled toward the door, only tripping once.

"Knock knock!" Bella called out and dragged a hand through her hair, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hey, B." The voice of the person she needed to see most right now, greeted her as Leah padded toward the door.

"Oh, thank god." Bella sighed in relief. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Were else would I be? It's a Saturday morning." Leah motioned for her to come in with the wave of her hand.

Bella shook her head, dismissing Leah's question and tugged open the screen door to enter the house. Apparently, their friendship was a thing that hadn't changed, even though she was Bella Black now, and not Bella Call. Maybe everything that had happened before she fell in love with Embry, had stayed the same. Like her friendship with Leah.

"You look like you could use a drink." She said as Bella stepped into the house, letting the screen door close behind her with a sharp clack.

"I think it's still a little early in the day for a drink." Bella chuckled miserably.

"Not in this house, it's not." Leah corrected her, and lead the way to the kitchen. "One bud light has never hurt anyone. It'll just take the edge off."

"Good," Bella nodded. "Because I could really do with one just about now."

"Sounds bad. What happened?" Leah asked as she headed over to the fridge.

"Eh." Bella responded, seating herself at the kitchen table. "I'm having an out-of-this-world experience today and I was hoping you could set me straight."

Leah reached into the fridge and pulled out two beers, twisting off the caps and flicked them effortlessly into the bin. "I'm all ears." She said as she turned and headed back over to Bella.

"When did Jake and I get married?"

"You're asking me?" Leah frowned. "He's your husband. Shouldn't you know this?"

"Lee, just answer my question, please?" Bella begged. "Humor me."

Leah arched her brow at Bella, but relented. "You guys got married two years ago. You just celebrated your anniversary a little over a week ago."

"And when did we start dating?"

"Bells, what's with the twenty questions?"

Bella sighed. "If I tell you, promise me you won't have me locked up in an asylum?"

"Just tell me." Leah insisted.

"Please. Promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

"Leah huffed, looking a little annoyed. "Fine. I promise."

"Last night, Embry and I had a huge fight, because he forgot about our anniversary. And when I woke up this morning, I was in bed with Jake."

"What do you mean by anniversary? Is there something going on between you and Embry that I need to know about? Are you and Jake having problems?" Leah leaned across the kitchen table toward Bella and fixed her with a serious gaze. "Because, even though I love Jake, if there were something going on between you and Em, you know I'd have your back."

"No. It's not like that. _Embry_ and I are married." Bella licked her lips and took a sip of her beer. "What I'm trying to tell you is that, last night, I was still married to Embry. And when I woke up this morning, it was like waking up in a parallel universe, because, apparently I'm married to my best friend."

"What in god's name are you talking about, B?"

"I know this sounds crazy, Leah, but I need to know what happened. I went over to Embry's this morning to try and get answers from him, but it was like he barely knew me. Like we've never dated before."

"You haven't dated, B. Embry doesn't date. He's a lot like Paul used to be back in the day, before he met Rachel."

"Oh my god. None of this makes sense." Bella scrubbed her face with her hands, sighed dejectedly and looked up at her friend. "What about you and Quil?"

"What do you mean, what about Quil and me?" Leah made a disgusted face.

"Aren't the two of you dating?"

"Okay, listen to me, B." Leah spoke softly and slowly, "I know you asked me not to think you're crazy, but really..." She chuckled. "Me, dating Quil?"

"Well, actually, in my world, the two of you are married." She explained. "And the two of you were very happy together."

"You sure you didn't just have one very disturbing dream?"

"No!" Bella huffed. "I know it was real. I remember everything." Bella clutched Leah's hand, squeezing it and imploring her to believe every word. "I remember the first time I met Embry. He found me on the side of the road and he helped me fix my flat tire. I still remember the goosebumps and the strong attraction I felt when I met him for the first time." Bella tilted the cool bottle of beer to her lips and took a long drag before speaking again. "I remember the first time he made love to me after prom night, in that beautiful red Valiant he loved so much. I remember when he asked me to marry him, and I remember the day I found out I was pregnant." Bella fought back her tears. "I'm not making this up, I swear. And as for you and Quil - I was there the day you married him. I was your maid of honor."

"Jesus," Leah blew out a breath, looking a little shell-shocked. She took a sip of her own beer and set it down. She looked back at Bella, and fiddled distractedly with the label on the bottle. "What the hell happened?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Maybe I could ask Quil if his grandfather knows about any legends like these."Leah suggested.

"No, please." Bella begged. "I don't need the council thinking that I'm out of my mind."

"I won't mention your name, Bella. I promise. But we need answers."

Would there be a chance that someone like Old Quil could have the answers? If so, there could be a possibility that she could return to her old life. Her life with Embry.

Another thought struck Bella. One that had been in the back of her mind since she had sex with Jake. "You don't, by any chance, know if I'm on the pill or the injection, do you? Any form of contraception for that matter?"

"Well, as far as I know, you are still on the pill. Jake said he wasn't ready to start a family yet."

Thank god for that. The last thing she needed right now, was to get knocked up by her current husband. That would make things way too complicated for her to deal with at this point in time.

Bella nodded. "Was I-" Bella huffed and corrected herself. "Am I in love with Jake? Are we happy together?"

Leah gave Bella a sad smile, "Yeah, B. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you guys are very much in love. And crazy happy. The only thing you ever fought about was having children. You were more than ready, but he just wasn't. _Yet_. But eventually you guys compromised. Said you'd give it a couple more years."

"At this point in time, I think I'm grateful for that. It's just difficult for me to imagine having kids with Jake, when just last night, I was about to tell Embry that I'm pregnant."

"Boy." Leah chuckled. "This is way too complicated."

"Tell me about it. I'm trying my best to keep it together, you know? And I have no idea how to pretend in front of Jake, without making him suspicious."

"You know what might help?" Leah suggested. "You and Jake have a wedding DVD. Maybe start by watching it. It might help fill in some of the blanks."

"I think I might just do that." Bella pushed her chair back and stood up. "So, you'll let me know what you found out?"

"Sure." Leah promised.

"Thanks, Lee. I'm so relieved that our friendship is the one thing that hasn't changed." If it weren't for Leah, she would have lost her mind by now.

"Me too. And like I mentioned before, you know I'll always have your back."

"Yeah. Same here." Bella promised.

 **A/N: So what is going on with Bella? Any ideas? Do you think Old Quil will have some answers? Let me know what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm going to have to ask you to have faith in me. You might really hate me for what happens in this chapter, but just sit tight. Everything will work out eventually.**

 **Just a little background...in case I left you you guys confused, or will leave you confused at some point in the future:** Embry is about two years older than Bella, and she's never met him before, because when Bella and Jake spent time together as friends, it was always only the two of them. She never joined pack meetings or parties until she started dating Embry, despite being friends with Leah. Still not quite following...well, fear not. Just continue reading the story.

Even though there is no imprinting in this story, Sam and Emily are still together...no messy Sam/Leah/Emily triangle. Quite a few of the pack couples are canon pairings, though.

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all it's recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 3 - Playing along**

Bella headed home with a little more hope, but no clear answers as to what had brought her here, to this life with Jake. She really hoped Leah would be able to find out what was going on. She needed to get back to her life with Embry. She hated that _this_ Embry barely knew her.

The house was still quiet when Bella walked in. She supposed Jake wasn't back yet. It was perfect, actually. It gave her some time to hunt for the wedding DVD that Leah had talked about, and maybe even check it out.

When she passed the wedding picture hanging in the hallway - the one she'd briefly looked at this morning - she stopped, letting herself get a better look at it, like she'd wanted to. She stood on the tips of her toes to inspect the picture from close up, trying to catch every detail she possibly could.

Jake was kissing her soundly, after what seemed to have been the I do's, and she was smiling against his lips, with the guests faded into the background. They really did look like the perfect couple, just like Leah had said. She was practically glowing in Jake's embrace. This was a Bella she had never been when she had been friends with Jake. This was a Bella she didn't know.

Bella padded into the living room, toward the TV, and opened the small doors of the TV stand. She knelt down in front of three stacks of DVD's and fished out the one of their wedding without searching too hard for it, but hesitated when she opened the player to insert the disk. Did she really want to watch this?

"Jesus, Bella." She mumbled to herself. "Get a grip. It's not like you're opening Pandora's box."

She needed to watch the wedding video so that she could at least pretend to know what was going on in her 'life', and fool Jacob into thinking that she wasn't actually losing her mind. She squared her shoulders determinedly and placed the DVD in the slot. She could do this. It was only a DVD.

The video started off with a slideshow of pictures of the two of them, and a large banner followed with the date and their names. Jacob and Bella – 6 June 2015. Well, at least she had the date, now. She loved the song playing in the background. It reminded her of the many days she had spent inside Jake's garage, way before she met Embry. Was that their wedding song?

Bella moved back toward the couch and sank down on it, remote in hand, watching as the camera focused on her as she was coming down the aisle with a ridiculous smile on her face, headed straight toward Jacob with her eyes trained solely on him and nobody else. Her arm was hooked in with her father's, and it made Bella smile. Despite knowing how uncomfortable her father must have been to be in the lime light like that, he looked so proud. She supposed that this was a dream come true for Charlie and Billy. Like two adoring mothers, they've been imagining Jake and Bella getting married since the day she took her first steps. Not that Charlie had been upset the day she first introduced Embry to him. He'd understood that she only loved Jake like a friend.

Focusing back on the video, she watched as her father gave her away to Jacob, and listened as the two of them exchanged vows. Apparently they had opted to go for the traditional vows, instead of writing their own, like Embry and she had done.

The camera shifted slightly, catching a glimpse of Embry standing next to Jake. He looked happy for them; there were no signs of jealousy, disappointment or even sadness in those dark brown eyes of his as he looked at them, and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She wanted Embry to want her, and love her as much as she loved him.

"Can't remember when last I saw you watching this DVD." Jacob spoke from behind her, his lips brushing against her ear and his hot breath tickling the hair at the back of her neck. "You used to watch it everyday."

Bella startled, obviously not having heard him enter, and flung the remote across the room in surprise as she jumped to her feet. "Jesus Christ, Jacob Black!" She clutched at her heart. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He grinned, not looking apologetic at all.

"It's okay." She shook her head and headed over to the corner of the room to retrieve the remote control. It was still in one piece. "I didn't hear you come in." She said as she walked back toward him. The wolves were notorious for their quite movements and Bella was still getting used to it after all these years.

"Miss me?" His grin turned into a lopsided smirk, eyes glinting mischievously, making Bella back a few steps away from him. He closed in on her like a predator stalking its prey, and Bella wondered what the hell was going on in that mind of his.

She took another step back, and then another as he kept coming for her. What the fuck was he planning?

"Oh, you wanna play, do you?" He growled and launched his large frame at her, making Bella shriek playfully and scramble to get away from him for fear of what he was going to do to her.

She barely made it two steps toward the kitchen when he caught her up in two strong arms and pulled her closer into him. "Little Red Riding Hood needs to give the big, bad wolf a hello kiss." He said, caught her chin between two fingers and pulled her lips to his. Hot, silky soft lips moulded against hers, making her gasp in surprise.

"What are you doing?" She pushed against his chest in an attempt to put some distance between them, but it only seemed to make him more determined to get what he wanted.

"I'm taking what is mine." He growled and recaptured her lips in a searing kiss that could put the most romantic movies to shame. Bella was grateful for the fact that she felt no chemistry when he kissed her, but what did worry her was that the brotherly feelings she had always harbored for him, was surprisingly absent right now, too. Not good.

Bella realized that struggling against him was futile, as he held her tightly against his body.

"Your keys are digging into my stomach, Jake. It's a little uncomfortable." She pointed out as she made one last futile attempt to get herself free from his embrace.

"Oh, baby," He chuckled in a grating voice. "Those aren't my keys." He bucked his hips into her, trying to make her understand what he was telling her.

"Oh my god!" She squeaked. "Is that-"

"My cock?" He finished her sentence. "Yeah, Bells. This is what you do to me."

Oh crap! She was so far out of her fucking depth here, and not at all sure how to handle her best friend coming on to her in such a strong manner. He seemed to like the fact that she was resisting him; he liked that she was putting up a fight. Was this foreplay for them? Did she do this to him often? Maybe it was their _thing._ Hell, she had no idea how things usually went down in the bedroom between him and the 'other her', but she really wasn't sure she wanted to find out.

Without warning, Jake lifted her up like she weighed less than nothing, threw her over his shoulder and marched them down the hall. "Where are you taking me?" She squealed and kicked against him. "Put me down right now, Jake!"

"I'm taking you to my bed, woman. Be quiet." He growled in a no-nonsense tone that she'd very rarely heard him use in all the time that she'd known him, and he brought one hand down, slapping her ass hard.

"Ouch!" She cried out as the skin of her ass smarted, but he didn't seem to care. He was on a mission, keeping up his brisk pace as he headed for the bedroom, and the possibility of what he might do to her, once there, had her chest tightening in fear. She had no idea what to do.

Jacob threw her haphazardly down onto the bed as they entered the bedroom. With his hands now free, he pulled down his cut-off's to reveal a very prominent hard-on that made Bella blush like a virgin, and clap her hands over her eyes. His cock was a little longer than Embry's, but lacked the girth that Bella had become accustomed to over the years. This was the first time she'd come face-to-face with Jacob's cock, and she tried her best not to look. She had admittedly been curious about it, but she had never imagined seeing it. Not up-close like this, at least. She had averted her eyes way too many times to count over the years as the guys phased left and right, with little to no shame about their nakedness. She had also seen Jacob a couple of times in passing, but never had he been hard when she'd caught a glimpse of his package.

"I love it when you blush." He growled and crawled onto the bed, over her. His weight pushed her down into the mattress and he tore her shirt open without missing a beat, cock resting against her stomach. He unexpectedly tweaked her nipple, making it harden to a tight pink peak, before lowering his mouth toward her breasts and pulling the nipple into his hot mouth.

"Fuck!" Bella mewled, her body arching involuntarily up into him as he flicked and sucked on the sensitive flesh. Her mind was spinning and she was pretty sure she knew where this was leading. If she didn't stop him, they were sure as sin going to have sex. They were married, and she was sure that Jake wouldn't see anything wrong with what was about to go down.

"What are you doing?" Bella tried to stall him. Distract him. She panted heavily as she waited for his answer, and pushed against Jacob's chest to get him to back off.

His lips detached from a pert nipple and he grinned cockily at her from under dark lashes with hungry eyes. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He didn't wait for her answer, and instead, he took her other nipple between his teeth and bit down gently, while his hand tugged her shorts down from her hips.

 _Oh god, this is so wrong_.

She shouldn't let him do this to her; she should really stop him. She was married to Embry, after all. Or was she?

Maybe she _really_ was losing her mind? It was very hard to be sure of herself at this point, when all she could register was Jacob's mouth as it distracted her by teasing her body and forcing her into submission.

Jacob flipped her over onto all four's and pulled her pants the rest of the way down and over her feet, discarding it onto the floor beside the bed.

"No underwear, huh?" He growled as his teeth grazed the skin of her ass, right where it still stung from the force of his hand, and slid his muscular torso up against her back. "I think I like it way more than I should. Easy access."

He gripped her hips tightly, and Bella's mind scrambled for a way to try and stop him one last time, before it was too late.

"Jake, wait." She squirmed against him, trying to reason with him. If she said no, he might really start suspecting that something was up. But, did it mean she was cheating on Embry if she allowed Jacob to have sex with her, again? Not that the first time counted. She had been half asleep and totally convinced that she was in bed next to Embry, when it happened.

But in this reality, _Jake_ was her husband, and nothing about what they were about to do seemed wrong to him at all. Why would it?

"Oh, come on Bells." He groaned, rubbing the tip of his cock against her slit, and dipping just the head into her, like he wanted to tempt her, before pulling out again. "You're so fucking wet for me." He pushed his cock a little deeper inside of her this time, making her squeeze her eyes shut as she tried to fight the throbbing she felt between her legs. "I know you want this. Don't say no, baby. Please?" He begged.

Her body relaxed as she relented. There was no point in fighting this, anymore. It was going to happen one way or another.

Jake waited for her answer for a total of about five seconds (something she had to give him credit for), and when she didn't protest any further, he bucked his hips and slid his cock deep into her slick core with a groan of satisfaction. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! _Oh god, yes!_ " He cursed.

Bella couldn't stop the loud moan that tumbled from her lips when he entered her deeply, and clenched her teeth together as he started moving in and out of her. She refused to let herself feel any pleasure. She could be selfless enough to give Jacob what he needed in their 'marriage', but she still felt extremely guilty for allowing anyone but Embry into her body. He had been her first, and she had really thought he would be her last, too.

"Shit, Bells! You feel so good, baby. Still so fucking tight for me," He whispered in her ear and kissed the rounding of her shoulder while his hips kept pumping in and out of her at a luxurious pace. She wished he would just hurry the fuck up and come already. Why did he have to make things harder for her by taking his time?

The slow pushes and pulls, as Jake thrust into her like he had all the time in the world, had her body heating up against her will and she trembled as she tried to ignore it. The ridges of his cock grazed her inner walls and the tip of his cock kept hitting her sweet spot over and over, sending jolts of unwelcome pleasure up her spine.

 _Don't orgasm, Bella. This is so wrong. Don't orgasm! DON'T ORGASM!_ She chanted over and over in her head as her legs started to tremble, and she knew without a doubt in her mind that Jacob knew her body very well. Too well. They had obviously had enough sex over the years, for him to know exactly how to coax an orgasm out of her.

Her walls started to flutter, and she knew exactly what this meant. She was so goddamn close, and she gritted her teeth in determination to keep the inevitable from happening. _Don't let go, Bella. Don't orgasm._

"That's a good girl," Jacob encouraged and nibbled on her ear as he obviously became aware of her impending orgasm. "Let go and come for me, baby. I know you want to." His voice was rough and gravelly as he egged her on, not helping her situation at all.

Jacob increased his pace to hard, deep thrusts, pulling almost completely out of her, and slamming himself back into her like he was doing his best to push her over the edge as she stubbornly held back.

Bella's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and despite her best intentions of not finding this enjoyable, her traitorous body decided to give in, and the tightly wound coil in the pit of her stomach snapped without warning. A cry escaped her lips as her body convulsed around Jacob, urging him to follow her as she writhed beneath him.

"Oh fuck! That's it, baby." He roared out his orgasm, pumping himself into her three more times, before sagging slightly against her. "Knew you wanted it just as badly as I did."

He carefully pulled out of her and settled onto his back, taking her with him and tucking her securely under his arm, her head resting on his chest.

Lying in Jacob's arms and listening to his heart beat settle to a slow and steady rhythm, Bella was sure she'd never felt so guilty in her life. But despite feeling like a piece of shit for what she had just allowed to happen, she had to admit that she had wondered what it would have been like if she had married Jake and not Embry. In fact, she had wondered about it just last night. Could this be the reason that she now found herself in this life? In this situation? And if so, what did it mean for Embry and her?

 ** _*Flashback*_**

"God dammit!" Bella cursed and kicked the very flat rear tire on her truck. Was this really her luck? She was stuck on the side of the road, not very far from school, with no one to help her. If only she had paid closer attention to Jake that time when he had changed the tires on his old rabbit, she would have been able to do it herself right now, instead of standing like a helpless damsel in distress, next to the road.

She fished her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contacts to her father's number, when the no signal icon in the corner of the screen caught her eye.

"Really?" Bella shouted to the sky.

Today was slowly turning into the day from hell. Her morning had started off with her waking up late for school, since her alarm clock didn't go off (for some inexplicable reason). When she finally did arrive at school, Mike had reminded her of the English paper that was due today, which she had totally forgotten about. And as a result of that, her English teacher (her favorite teacher) had told her how disappointed she was in Bella. Not a proud moment. _And now this..._

"You look like you could use some help." A voice behind her made her startle and swing around, pepper spray ready.

Charlie made sure that her pepper spray was always full, in case she needed to defend herself, but when she looked up at the tall, shirtless god of a man standing before her, she realized that he looked more like her hero, than a possible attacker.

"You can put away that pepper spray of yours. I promise you won't need it." He assured her, hands held up in surrender. "I won't hurt you."

"Okay," Bella nodded her head like an idiot and lowered her hand. The sight of this man before her was turning her brain to mush and left her tongue-tied.

Dark lashed kissed his cheeks every time he blinked, and his twinkling chestnut eyes looked like a sure invitation for sex. High cheekbones in a boyishly handsome face accentuated his dimpled chin and full, pouty lips. Lips she could kiss for days on end. A rock hard eight-pack, covered in silky toffee skin, disappeared into low slung cut-off's that made her lick her lips.

"So?" He asked, and Bella struggled to remember his question. Had there even been a question?

When she simply gaped at him in confusion, a smile hitched up on one side of those delicious lips, revealing his perfect, pearly white teeth. "Do you need help with that tire of yours?"

"Yeah," Bella nodded as she seemed to regain the ability to form coherent sentences. "That would be great, thanks."

Without further encouragement, this hulk of a man opened the door of her truck, leaned his large, muscular frame into the cab and sniffled out her tools hidden under the seat.

Bella kept watching him quietly as he sank down on his knees next to the tire in question, and tried her best not to drool.

"You got a name?" He glanced up at her as he loosened the nuts with ease, and removed the wheel.

"Bella." She replied simply.

"Nice to meet you, Bella." He wiped his dirty hand on his cut-offs and offered it to her. She leaned down and grabbed his hand, amazed that it felt so warm. Just like Jacob's. "I'm Embry."

A thought occurred to her at the unnatural heat of his touch. "Hey, I don't suppose you know Jacob, do you?" He sure fit the profile of a pack member, but she couldn't ask him that in a straight forward question. If he wasn't part of the pack, a question like, "Hey, are you a werewolf?", wouldn't go down so well.

"Black? Yeah, I do." He grunted out as he continued with his task, and shook his head once, to get his hair out of his eyes. "We've been friends for a really long time."

"So you're part of Sam's club, too?" She supposed if he was in deed Jacob's friend, he would surely be a member of the pack.

"What gave it away?" He looked up into her eyes with a grin.

"Huge, muscled and shirtless." Bella chuckled. "And unnaturally warm."

"Right." He nodded with the smallest frown rippling over his forehead, and replaced the flat with the spare. "Just didn't think you'd know about us."

"I wasn't supposed to know." She informed him. "Jake had a little slip up in front of me."

"Oh! That was _you_?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Jake got a lot of shit for that little stunt."

"I heard Sam pummeled his ass for what happened." Bella folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the truck. She hadn't been happy about it when she had heard what Sam had done to him.

"He did more than pummel him. It was a straight out beating."

Bella frowned and dug the toe of her shoe into the dirt. Jake had obviously toned down the severity of his punishment when he had told her about it.

"So, do you have a boyfriend, Bella-with-no-last-name?" Embry steered the conversation in a different direction.

Bella's eyes flicked back to Embry's at the unexpected question. "Swan." She blushed. "And no, I don't have a boyfriend."

"So, how about a date then?" He pressed on in an enviably aloof manner, like the idea of asking out a girl he'd just met, didn't make him nervous in the least.

"Boy, you sure work fast, don't you?" Bella laughed and pushed herself away from the truck.

"When I see something I want, I take it." He smiled cockily at her, but his eyes were serious.

"Oh wow. Most guys flatter and flirt, maybe romance a girl a little, at first." She teased. "But you really nailed it with your caveman-like tendencies."

He chuckled. "Just part of my charm, I guess."

Bella rolled her eyes at him and tried to suppress a grin. "And modest too, I see."

"What can I say?" He grinned that sexy, pearly white grin of his. "I'm the perfect guy."

"Sure you are." Bella mocked, pretending to agree with him. "There's not a girl in this world who would prefer hearts and flowers over a guy who basically says, 'Me like you. Bed. Now!', throws her over his shoulder and carries her to his cave?"

Embry roared with laughter at her comment, clutching his grease-stained hands to his sides as he doubled over, and Bella couldn't help but join in.

He only attempted to speak again when their laughter died down. "Well, Bella Swan, I think you might be very disappointed to find that I well and truly suck in the romance department."

"So you don't deny that you're essentially a caveman, then?" Bella pouted teasingly. "Damn. I guess I'm a little disappointed."

"So, it's a yes then?" Embry smiled, showing his dimples and making her weak at the knees. "I mean, if I try and romance you a little?"

Bella sighed playfully, pretending to think about it, even though she wanted to scream yes. She had to be careful around him, because he was the type of guy who could steal her heart for good, and she barely knew him.

Embry tightened the last nut, removed the jack from under the truck, and pushed up from the ground. He arched a dark eyebrow at her, waiting for her answer.

"Fine." She pretended to give in. (Like she could ever say no to him; she was hooked and she knew it.) "I guess I could manage to get through one evening in your company."

"Jesus, Bella. Slow down." He backed away from her, eyes shining with mirth. "Don't sound so eager. I only just met you a few minutes ago. You might just make me think you're desperate for a date." He teased. "But in all seriousness, I really do suck at romancing a girl. I'm just plain old me."

"Hey, don't worry about it." She assured him. "It's one date. Not a marriage proposal."

"Meaning you can bolt when you find out how terrible I am at wooing you?" He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.

"Something like that." She chuckled.

"So can I get your number?"

"I guess." She sighed in mock exasperation, and held out her hand. "Gimme your phone."

Embry fished the phone from the pocket of his cut-off's, unlocked it and handed it to her. "Just save your number under 'sexy'. In case I forget your name."

"Very funny." She narrowed her eyes at him, punched in her number and pressed save. "There you go, Embry-with-no-last-name." She handed his phone back to him.

"Call." He said.

"Yeah, I hope you do."

"No, I mean, my last name is Call." He corrected her.

"Oh boy. Isn't this just just perfect." She bit her lip, trying not to smile. "I bet you've heard all the jokes before, haven't you?"

"You have no idea." Embry grimaced.

"Then I won't start in on you." Bella reassured him with a genuine smile. "Thanks for the help."

"You need me to get the tire repaired for you?" He offered.

"No. Seriously." She assured him. "You've helped enough. I'm sure I can manage. Besides, I can always ask my father."

"Okay then, Bella Swan." He greeted. "I'll see you soon." It was a statement. Not a question.

"Better work on those romancing skills of yours before then." She winked, eased into the truck and turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and Bella waved as she drove away.

 _ ***End of flashback***_

"So, what's for dinner?" Jake pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I haven't had any time to think of something to make." She admitted, pulling the sheet up over her breasts, suddenly feeling very naked and shy in Jacob's presence.

"Seriously, Bells?" Jacob whined. "You know how hungry I get after patrols."

"Okay, don't worry." Bella appeased him. "I'll whip something up for us." He was acting like a baby, and it bugged Bella a bit. She wasn't used to Embry being this dependent on her cooking. He had never hesitated to help with the cooking. And if he _really_ couldn't hold out until dinner was finished, he'd always been more than willing to make himself a sandwich (or three), to tide him over. Even the Jake she used to know, would never complain like this.

"Thanks babe. You're a star." He winked and stretched out in bed with a lazy, satisfied grin.

Bella shuffled to the bathroom to clean up, and opened the cabinet above the sink out of curiosity while she waited for the water to heat up. And boy, was she ever grateful she did, because she found her pills sitting on one of the small racks inside. She snagged the packet, popped Saturday's pill into her hand, and swallowed it down before she could forget.

Bella found hamburger patties and bacon in the freezer, and popped them into the sink, filling it with hot water to defrost the items. She grabbed a loaf of bread and started buttering the slices. She checked on the bacon and hamburger patties once she was done with the bread, adding a little more hot water and leaving it to defrost some more. She pulled a few tomato's and lettuce from the fridge, and cut them up to use as toppings, while she waited. She hoped Jake would be satisfied with this. There was no way that she was going to run to the store just for hamburger buns.

Jake leisurely strolled into the kitchen, grabbed a beer from the fridge and smacked Bella on the ass, before heading toward the couch in the living room and grabbing his Xbox remote. He flung his large body onto the couch, stretched out and turned on Battlefield, making Bella roll her eyes. Maybe he would help her with the dishes after dinner?

"Don't forget about lunch at Sam and Emily's house tomorrow." He called over his shoulder as he joined a game. "You promised that you'd make oatmeal cookies."

"Oh shit. Are you serious?"

"Yup." He nodded, not looking away from his game.

"Well, maybe you could come help me in the kitchen, so I can get started with the cookies?"

"What? No babe." He sounded shocked that she would even make such a suggestion. "I'm busy playing right now. You know I can't pause once I'm online. Besides, I'm sure you can handle it. You're my little rock star."

Bella was so shocked at the way he dismissed the fact that she needed help, that she stood right there in the kitchen, with her mouth agape, for longer than she cared to admit. Jake was being a lazy asshole, and the more time she spent with him, the more she realized that she really had no reason to complain about Embry and his lack of romance. There were more important things in a relationship.

 **A/N: Do you love me or hate me right now? I'm cowering behind my laptop. But what did you think about Jacob? And about how Bella met Embry?**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. You are awesome. Sorry for those who were a little disappointed by what happened between Bella and Jake. At this point, I can't promise that it won't happen again. Bella wanted to know what life would be like with Jake, and now she has a chance to find out. Though, I think she's going to realize what an idiot she's been.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all it's recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 4: Weird**

Sam and Emily's house was packed with wolves and their mates when Jake and Bella arrived for Sunday lunch. This was nothing new to her, whether it was in this world, or the one in which she was married to Embry. Emily was still their 'den mother'.

What did surprise Bella, though, was that Charlie and Sue were there, as well. Together. Like, _together,_ together. They were holding hands and whispering in each other's ears like a teenage couple.

It was a strange sight to behold - her father and Sue as a couple - but she was happy for them. Charlie had been a bachelor for way too long, and Sue deserved to find love again after Harry's death. They looked really good together.

"Hey Sue." She greeted Leah's mother with a kiss on the cheek. She loved Sue very much – she was like a second mother to Bella, since she had spent so much time over at the Clearwater's house in the past.

"There you are." Sue returned the kiss and pulled Bella in for a tight hug. "Your father and I were just wondering when you and Jake were going to arrive."

"Yeah, sorry. I guess the lunch had totally slipped my mind and I had to stay up late last night to finish the cookies. I overslept this morning. Jake had patrols and I only woke up when he got home at eleven."

"She's been a little off, lately." Jacob added as he took his turn to greet Sue with a one-armed hug, balancing a tray of oatmeal cookies in his other hand. He turned his attention to Charlie, greeting him with a firm handshake. She wished Jake wouldn't tell everyone here how she was struggling. It was personal, and he was making her sound unstable.

"You have, kiddo?" Charlie grasped Bella firmly by the shoulders as if to get a good look at her. "What's wrong?"

Bella shook her head dismissively, waving it away. "Nothing, I swear. Just haven't been sleeping well, that's all."

"Are you pregnant?" Sue wondered, trying to hide her obvious excitement at the idea.

 _"What?"_ Bella choked out and shook her head. "No, I'm not pregnant." She looked at Jacob, feeling very alarmed. Or did he know something she didn't?

"Maybe soon, though." Jacob smiled at her, looking mighty pleased with himself. _Fucker._

"No, no, no." Bella focused her full attention on Jacob now, hating to have this discussion in front of friends and family, but there was no way she was going to keep her mouth shut and give them all false hope. "You said you wanted to wait a couple of years." Bella accused, pointing her finger at him. Thank god for Leah's information yesterday, or she'd never have known that Jacob wasn't ready. And she was banking on that, more that she cared to admit, because having a baby with him was just about the last thing she needed right now.

"Maybe I don't anymore." He grinned and winked at her.

Bella stood in the middle of the living room, fighting the bile that was rising in her throat. This could not be happening. She tried to grasp at something to say as her mind whirred.

"Okay, you two." Leah stepped in to save the day. "Maybe this is a conversation best left until the two of you are alone."

"Yeah. Guess you're right." Jacob grumbled and Bella tried not to sigh in audible relief.

"Thank you." Bella mouthed to Leah, which she returned with a knowing wink.

"Why don't you go say hi to the others." Her friend suggested.

"Good idea, Lee." Bella stepped away from Jake, doing her best not to give him a death glare, and headed for the kitchen. She was not in the mood to be close to him right now.

Paul and Rachel were sitting at the dining table, deep in conversation with Jared and Kim, while Rachel bounced a little chubby-cheeked baby on her knee - just another thing that differed from what she was used to, but she had to admit that she was happy for them. Rachel looked good as a mama.

Quil and Embry were standing to the side near the kitchen sink, laughing about god knows what. They were always up to something.

Loud laughter bubbled in from the open back door, where Bella could see Colin and Brady throwing around a football, while Emily shoved two large trays of lasagna into the oven, before turning around and throwing a massive smile in Bella's direction. And she was HUGE! She looked like she was ready to pop - at least eight months pregnant. Was this Sam and Emily's first baby? Or did they have more children running around here somewhere?

"Hey guys." Bella greeted collectively as she entered, and took turns hugging each of the pack and mates, paying a little extra attention to Paul and Rachel's little one. He was super adorable, and she wondered if she'd ever get back to her life with Embry, so she could experience her own share of joy at being pregnant, and having a baby. She was more than ready to start a family, just not with Jake.

"Say hi to Auntie Bella, Ty." Rachel cooed.

So her nephew's name was Ty. Or Tyler, most likely. She felt like her brain was going to explode from all the new information she had to absorb. "You are definitely the most handsome guy in the room." Bella assured the smiling child.

"In this case, I'll agree with you." Paul grinned. "But only because he's my son."

Bella rolled her eyes at Paul's cockiness. "Of course you would."

She finally settled in next to Emily. She was ambitiously stirring the contents of the pot to keep it from burning. It smelled delicious, like all of her food always did.

"Smells so good." She leaned into Emily, giving her a shoulder bump. "Need any help?"

Emily shot a menacing look over her shoulder at Quil and Embry. "If you could keep those two away from the food, that would be great. Can't even leave the garden salad unattended. I've already had to make more salad once, since they ate almost half of the contents."

"On it." Bella assured Emily and headed for the sink, watching as the occupants at the kitchen table shuffled out the back door toward Colin and Brady, who were now tackling each other. She snuggled into Quil's side, like she was used to doing, and hoped to hell he didn't mind (or find it strange). She was very close to Quil in her alternate life. He was her best friend's husband, after all.

Thankfully, Quil didn't seem to mind, and hooked his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his side. "Did you come to tell us to give Emily a break?" He gave her a knowing grin.

Bella stared up at Quil, taking in his light brown eyes and playful, dimpled smile. She wondered why he and Leah never considered dating? Sure, he was goofy, but he was attractive and sweet, as well. And hilarious at the best of times. There would surely never be a dull moment if Leah chose him.

"Yeah, I did, actually." She looked past Quil at Embry. "That includes you too." She warned playfully. "Give poor Emily a break. She's ready to pop and still you guys are making her life hell."

"Hey, we were just doing quality control." Embry assured her. "If the food's bad, Emily can't very well serve it to the others. We put our own stomach and taste buds at risk for the sake of the pack's safety."

"Oh. So you were just taking one for the team, right?" She teased him, trying to keep her heartbeat in check as those mischievous eyes of his captivated her. She loved that 'I'm up to no good' look. It made her weak at the knees most days, and she was glad to see it again, if only for the sake of feeling a little grounded for a moment or two; feeling like she wasn't in unknown territory.

"Of course we are." He nodded vigorously and shook his shaggy hair from his eyes. "We're not the bad guys here. The ones who refuse to help with quality control are the ones you need to keep an eye on. They have no standards."

"Why don't you go say hi to Jake." Bella suggested, trying her best to sound serious as Leah entered the kitchen, with no Jacob in sight. She needed a moment alone with Leah, and this was her chance to get eavesdropping wolf ears out of the way. "He's got oatmeal cookies. Maybe you could do some 'quality control' on those, too."

"Oh snap!" Quil exclaimed with pure joy and made a hasty exit, winking at Leah as he passed her, making her blush. Bella wondered what that was about, but filed it away for later speculation. She had bigger fish to fry right now. She watched as Embry followed behind Quil, sniffing the air to locate Jake and the cookies, and looking very much like an eager child. They were so easy to manipulate if food was somehow involved.

"You know they're going to polish that whole batch by themselves, don't you?" Leah warned as she rested back against the sink, next to Bella. "And I was really hoping to get a taste of those yummy cookies, myself."

"Yeah, I know." Bella gave Leah her best evil smile. "But lucky for you, those are just the decoys. The other two trays are still in the car."

"I knew there was a reason I like you." Leah teased.

Bella leaned in closer to Leah, turning serious for a moment. "Have you found anything out, yet?" She whispered in her friend's ear.

"He wants to see you." She gave Bella a meaningful look.

"I thought you weren't going to tell him that it was me? Now everyone is going to know that I'm insane."

"I didn't tell him it was you. I created a hypothetical scenario, and the old man said that he needed to see the person this had happened to." Leah assured her. "Said he knew what was going on, but that he had some questions."

"Oh god." Bella squeezed her eye shut and sighed in relief. "So I'm not losing my mind?" She looked back up at her friend.

"Apparently not. Guess there actually _is_ a legend involving whatever this is that you're going through." Leah frowned for a moment. "Quick off-topic question. What's up with Jake telling you that he wants to start a family?"

"I have no idea. You were the one who told me that he'd said he didn't want kids yet."

"Well, when you came to me one day, telling me that Jake wasn't ready yet, you said he was quite adamant. And as far as I know, nothing has changed. Unless it happened recently. But I'm pretty sure I would have been the first person you would have called about it."

"Do you think that maybe it's because I've not been myself lately, and he's misread it, thinking that I might leave if he doesn't give me what I want?"

"Jesus, B. I don't know." Leah sighed heavily. "Maybe, I guess?"

"Then I need to do some serious damage control. Before he really starts to get into the idea of getting me pregnant."

"Yeah. Make sure you hide your pills where he can't find them, in case he wants to toss them in the trash." Leah suggested. She had a point. If Jake set his mind to something, who knew the lengths he'd be prepared go to, to get what he wanted.

"We had sex, you know." Bella grimaced. She felt confident in telling Leah this, because she knew her friend wouldn't judge her harshly for this. She'd probably just tease the hell out of her. Besides, who else could she talk to about this stuff? Who else could she trust to help her work through all of this crazy shit? At this point, she only had her best friend.

Leah coughed to suppress a laugh, eyes widening in surprise. "You and Jake?"

"Yup. Twice." She offered for the sake of accuracy.

"I thought you were in love with-"

"I am." Bella cut Leah off before she could say Embry's name. They had to be careful, in case someone was eavesdropping. "But the first time, he caught me off guard. It was morning sex and I didn't see his face. We were _spooning_ and I was convinced it was my _'other husband'_."

Leah clamped her lips together in an obvious attempt not to laugh, and nodded her head, encouraging Bella to continue.

Bella rolled her eyes at Leah's reaction. It was nothing less than what she had expected. "And then he didn't give me a choice, yesterday. I tried to get away, but he was all insistent and dominant and I thought that maybe if I let him take what he needed, he wouldn't get suspicious."

Leah was grinning openly now, not trying to hide it anymore. "Well yeah, that's one way to assure him that things are fine. Spread your legs for a man, and the rest of his world disappears."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?"

"But…" Leah frowned. "You don't have to be this selfless, Bella. You have every right to say no, even if you're married to him."

"Hey, it wasn't exactly torture, you know." Bella dug the toe of her shoe into the worn linoleum of the kitchen floor, keeping her eyes lowered shamefully.

"No! Bella Swan!" Leah exclaimed with wide eyes, before reigning in her volume. "You didn't!" She accused in a whisper, grinning again. "You orgasmed, didn't you? You little slut."

"I might have." She looked up at Leah, feeling a blush creep up to her cheeks.

"Was it _that_ good?"

"It might have been." Bella admitted begrudgingly, "But not as good as what I'm used to. And it wasn't a conscious decision to let myself orgasm. I tried to fight it, but it just kind of snuck up on me." Bella sighed. "He sure knows what to do to get me off, but he's really lacking when it comes to being thorough."

"Meaning?" Leah's eyes twinkled with curiosity, her full attention directed toward Bella.

"It seems that Jake is just a 'give a girl one orgasm and be done with it' kind of guy, whereas the other person in question took his time, you know. Serviced _all_ the areas before even starting on sex. And even then, it was never less than twice, before he allowed himself to come."

"My, my, my." Leah arched her brows in surprise. "Didn't know the fucker had it in him. No pun intended, of course. I mean, I know he's notorious these days for taking any willing girl to bed (Bella flinched at this part), and there are very many of them, but I guess I never pegged him for the type to be so thorough. No wonder the girls are lining up so eagerly to have their turn."

Bella's stomach wrenched at the thought of Embry with all these other women, but this wasn't really _her_ Embry. She had to remember that, or she'd drive herself insane. So instead, she pushed the image of him with someone else from her mind, and continued the conversation as if it didn't bother her. "Oh, believe me, he really knows how to please a woman. He's very thorough."

"Who's thorough?" Emily joined them.

"Uh-" Bella scrambled to think of an explanation that would fit.

"The guy who delivers the books to Bella's store." Leah covered quickly. "Bella says that he's very organised."

"Oh, that's good." Emily nodded, rubbing her belly.

Bella gave Leah a questioning look at the mention of a bookstore, but Leah just shook her head, mouthing 'not now'.

"So, lunch is almost ready. Would the two of you mind setting the table for me?" Emily asked, and indicated to the pile of plates and the cutlery box on the kitchen table.

"Sure." Bella agreed and offered Emily the best convincing smile she could manage, despite wanting nothing more than to continue this conversation with Leah. She needed answers. What bookstore was she talking about?

Bella and Leah worked in silence, and she kept shooting glances at Leah as Emily called out to the others that lunch was ready. She wanted to know more about the bookshop. _Her bookshop?_

* * *

Lunch was a boisterous affair, where most of the men chewed through the massive spread that Emily had prepared, like hungry dogs. The only man to eat no more than a second helping, was her father.

Bella zeroed in on Charlie and Sue, watching the affectionate way in which they interacted, while chewing absently on her food without actually tasting it. A touch here or there, and a sweet, chaste kiss every now and then when they thought nobody was watching them. Bella tried not to grin like an idiot when she saw Sue sporting what looked like a wedding ring (how had she not noticed it earlier?), and she wondered when the two of them had gotten married. Maybe she could nudge her father along in Sue's direction if she ever got back to her life with Embry, again. They were such a sweet couple, and she wondered why she had never imagined these two getting together, before?

"Staring is rude, you know?" She heard Embry whisper from her right, where he had taken his seat beside her, earlier.

Bella decided that she would forgo denying that she was staring as she looked up into Embry's eyes. Her heart stuttered and sped up, and she prayed to god he didn't notice. "I can't help it. They're just so adorable together." She whispered back.

"You say it like you haven't seen it for the last year. You're being weird," He accused.

"Well," Bella though of a way she could redeem herself, "I'm just really glad both of them got a second chance at love, you know? And I'm not weird."

"Not weird, like 'a little off' weird. You're just not yourself. Just like the other day when you showed up-"

Bella cut Embry of with a finger to her lips and a shake of her head, leaving him frowning at her. Jake was sitting on her left, and she really didn't want Jake to overhear their conversation.

"See, weird." He reiterated, looking pleased with himself for figuring out that something wasn't quite right.

"Just drop it, please?" She implored, hoping like hell he wouldn't ask too many questions. She would hate to have to explain to him what was really going on. Like he'd believe her, anyway.

"Fine. I guess it's none of my business." He turned his attention away from her and ladled another helping of lasagna onto his plate, leaving Bella feeling empty. She wished she could talk to him – really talk to him and tell him everything that's been going on. She missed _her_ Embry so much.

 ** _*Flashback*_**

"You look nice." Embry commented as he opened the passenger door for her, letting her slide into his car. An old, red Valiant with the same red interior. She was surprised that it was so well looked after. The red leather of the front seats was well cared for, and she wondered if he'd take care of her the same way he did this car, were they ever to start a relationship.

"Thanks," She blushed. "You don't look too bad yourself. You clean up pretty good for a caveman."

He shut her door and rounded the car, easing into the passenger seat. "See you haven't forgotten about that yet."

"Nope. But I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt tonight." Bella grinned. She loved the playful banter they shared.

"Sounds fair." Embry started the car and winked at her, making her heart stutter. He was surely going to be the death of her.

"So where are you taking me?" Bella fished, trying her best not to stare openly at this beautiful man sitting beside her. His fingers grazed her thigh as he changed gears (whether it was intentional or not, she didn't know) and felt a shiver of pleasure run up her spine.

He looked over at her, excitement written all over his face. "There is this amazing little seafood restaurant on the edge of First Beach. Have you ever been there?"

"No. Never even heard of it, until now." If she had, she would surely have been a regular there. It was surprisingly hard to find a decent seafood restaurant in this town.

"I promise you won't be disappointed." His fingers grazed against her thigh again, but the expression on his face gave nothing away. Did he even notice what he was doing? He seemed so unflappable.

"Well, you get an A for originality." She assured him. "I was sure we were going to the diner."

"For a first date? Really?" He looked appalled at the thought.

"Well, you said I was going to be disappointed if I expected you to be romantic." She reminded him. "So, I tried not to expect too much."

"Even _I_ don't suck that much at romancing a girl, that I'd consider taking you on a first date to the _diner_ of all places." He grimaced. "I'm sorta hurt that you'd expect so little of me." He seamlessly exchanged the grimace for a playful pout, teasing her.

"Well, then I'm impressed, Embry Call. It's been a while since I've had proper seafood. You're already scoring points for that."

He looked pleased at her obvious glee.

* * *

The waiter seated them against the edge of the deck, where they could overlook the ocean. A small oil lantern cast a golden hue over the blue and white checkered table cloth, setting the mood.

Bella dragged a large lungful of fresh sea air into her lungs, enjoying the calm of the sun setting over the ocean, and the sound of small waves crashing and bleeding out to the shore, licking the ivory sand with dark, foamy tongues.

"So tell me about that car of yours." Bella tried to break the ice, never any good at making small talk.

"What do you want to know?" He arched a brow (probably surprised that a girl wanted to talk about cars) and helped himself to a bread stick.

"What year model is it?" To be honest, she didn't know a thing about year models and the differences that came with it, but she found herself interested to know how he came to own one.

"It's a 1962 model." He said around a piece of bread. "Got it for dirt cheap from my uncle. It was originally his friend's car and he'd done a pretty decent job of looking after it. I just touched up the minor chips and dents on the exterior. The interior is untouched."

"How did you manage to get a beautiful car like that for so little money?" Bella picked at her own bread stick, having a hard time getting food into her stomach when it was doing flip flops. Just being near Embry made her nervous and excited.

"My uncle's friend died, and left him the car. My uncle isn't really one for classic cars, so he sold it to me for a special price."

"How could he not appreciate a car like that? She's a real beauty." Even she, with little to no experience with cars, could appreciate the old Valiant for what it was.

"Are you into old cars?" He asked, sliding his hand across the table and placing it over her's.

Bella tried to act normal as she felt the heat of his hand burning her skin. He was holding her hand and it felt like that was all her poor mind could focus on, right now. She took a deep breath, and continued like nothing happened. "Well, I've never been one to throw a blind eye at a well looked after classic car, but I can't say that it's a particular passion of mine. I mean, yeah, Bess is old. You've seen her. She's not nearly in the condition she deserves to be, but I love her, none the less. She's solid and reliable. But other than that, I don't really know a thing about cars." In a bold move, she twined her fingers with Embry's. He didn't seem to mind, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"You get points for liking my car, though." He assured her. "And if you decide to stick with me, I'll teach you about classic cars. If you want me to?"

"Ready to order?" Their waiter enquired, effectively ending the conversation. He waited for their order, pen and note pad in hand.

"Oh god, I haven't checked out the menu yet." Bella grabbed the laminated food list, scanning quickly so she didn't have to make Embry wait.

"I think you can give us another ten minutes." He dismissed the waiter, not looking annoyed or rushed in any way.

"Sure thing, sir." The waiter said and retreated.

Bella couldn't help but smile. "You know, I could have picked something. You're probably starving."

Embry shook his head and gave her a genuine smile. "I want you to take your time and pick what you _really_ want."

And she did. She had decided on prawns and calamari, a choice which Embry supported wholeheartedly, assuring her that she wouldn't be disappointed.

Embry asked her about her parents, and what she wanted to do after school, taking a genuine interest in her life. She told him about her parents' divorce when she was practically still in diapers, and about her love for books and reading, and how she wanted to study something that would help her do copy editing.

He listened to her (really listened), and asked questions about the things she was telling him. She was impressed. Most guys just tuned out when a woman started to talk, but not him.

When it was her turn to do the questioning, she asked the same questions he did, craving more information about this guy who was making her fall in love with him in this ridiculously short span of time.

He told her that his parents were still happily married, and that he was a second year in college, studying to become a teacher. He wanted to teach math - something that he was really good at.

* * *

"So, how opposed are you to a kiss on the first date?" He asked her, grabbing her hand and twining their fingers together as they walked side by side along the beach after dinner, in an attempt to work off the heaps off food they had just consumed.

"It all depends on how this first date went. If it sucked, I would have to say that there was no chance, but if it was a good date, I'd definitely consider it." The sea breeze blew Bella's hair into her face, and she brushed it away to look at him.

"And?" He encouraged her to give an answer.

"And what?" She teased, playing dumb.

He chuckled softly and bumped his shoulder gently against hers. "Was it a good date?"

"Nope." She shook her head, and watched as Embry opened his mouth to protest. "It was an amazing first date. You're not so bad, Embry Call."

Embry stopped walking and pulled Bella into him, cupping her cheek. She felt his heat radiate through his shirt as she stood flush against him, and it made her tingle in all kinds of delicious places as she anticipated the kiss. He lowered his head slowly, his dark brown eyes holding hers captive as his lips inched closer to hers. "I'm gonna kiss you now." He whispered, lips brushing against hers in a feather light caress.

"Okay." She whispered back, nodding her head.

Embry's other hand snaked over her hip to her lower back, and pulled her even closer into him. She was really struggling to breathe now. Her heart was beating rapidly, and this time, she knew he would notice. He pressed his lips firmly against hers, soft and warm, without pushing for more just yet, and pulled away way too soon for Bella's liking, making her protest at the loss of contact.

"No, no, no." She shook her head, hand curling firmly around the back of his neck, and pulled him back in for another kiss. She wanted more than just one chaste kiss from him. He reciprocated easily, tracing her bottom lip in a plea for entrance, and Bella opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She moaned shamelessly into his mouth as his tongue found hers, and kissed him back like she wanted to since she first met him. He was such a good kisser; she could surely kiss him for the rest of the evening if she didn't have a curfew. So Bella enjoyed the kiss while it lasted, savoring his taste.

 *** _End Flashback*_**

As soon as the dishes were done, Bella grabbed Leah and dragged (or tried to) her ass out the door with some lame excuse thrown at the others.

"Are you going to fill me in on the bookshop situation? " She demanded.

"There's really not much to fill you in on." Leah shrugged.

"Come on, Lee. Of course there is. You _know_ I have no goddamn clue about what's going on in my life."

"What do you want to know?"

"Is it my bookshop? Am I the owner? Who works there with me? What are our trading hours?" She fired all the questions she could think of, at Leah.

"Well, Kim and I work _for_ you, because yes, you do own it. We needed jobs, and when you opened the bookshop, you asked us to come work for you. We are open from nine to four during the week, and Saturday's until one. Kim and I work opposite weekends, and you come in every now and then to check up on us and help if needed."

"So you'll help guide me then?" Bella pleaded. She had no idea how to run a business. "I don't know a thing about doing the books."

"You don't even have to ask. I told you, I've got your back." She assured Bella. "And Jared does your books. So that's one less thing to worry your pretty little head over."

"And what does Jake do?"

"He started an auto repair shop with Embry. They're partners."

"Good to know." She wasn't really surprised that Jake and Embry had gone into the auto business. They sure did know a lot about cars. "You'll have to show me where it is sometime, so I don't look like a total idiot if he asks me to come around to the shop."

"Will do. But don't get too stressed out about it. Everything will fall into place. You'll see."

"Thank god I have you around. Imagine the craziness if I had to deal with all of this on my own." Bella squeezed Leah's shoulder. "And thanks for keeping this a secret."

Leah nodded her head, but rubbed the back of her neck in one of her signature nervous gestures.

"What is it, Lee? You're hiding something from me." Bella accused. She may not know much about this life she had been thrown into, but she knew her best friend like the back of her hand.

"Not hiding. Just trying to find a good way to tell you something, so you won't freak out."

"What?" Bella demanded. She didn't think she could handle any bad news right now.

"Quil kinda knows about your predicament." Leah explained, refusing to look Bella in the eye.

"Leah!" Bella exclaimed in annoyance. "You promised! I thought I could trust you with this."

"I didn't tell him." She defended. "The little fucker eavesdropped on my conversation with his grandfather. I didn't even know that he was there until it was too late. And he was the one to put two and two together. I really didn't tell him or his grandfather that it was you." She squeezed Bella's hand, imploring her to believe what she was saying. "But he promised he wouldn't say anything to Jake. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"How can you be so sure?" Bella worried. "You know he can't keep his mouth shut to save his life."

"Because we came to an agreement." Leah shrugged, not giving anything away.

"Which is?" Bella pushed for more.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Leah tried to play it off.

"If you think I'm just going to let this go, you don't know me as well as you think you do." Bella scowled. "So out with it."

"Fine." Leah rolled her eyes and relented with a sigh. "I agreed to have sex with him. Once." She cringed as the words left her mouth, like she was anticipating a verbal beat-down from Bella. "Happy now?"

Bella stared slack-jawed at her friend. She sure as hell didn't expect _this._

"He said if I slept with him, he would shut up about it." She added.

"And? Did you?"

This time, Leah blushed. "Yeah." She looked away from Bella.

"Oh my god! I don't know if I should be shocked, angry or happy about it." Bella choked out a laugh. "I sure didn't expect you, of all people, to be manipulated into sex."

"Don't overthink it. It was nothing." Leah waved it away.

"The way you're blushing - the fact that you are blushing at all - tells me that you liked it more than you care to admit." Bella grinned. "And you called _me_ a slut?"

"It was okay." Leah kept her face neutral.

"Right." Bella didn't believe a word of what her friend was saying.

"Okay, fine." Leah sighed. "It was amazing." She finally looked up at Bella. "The sex was out of this world. And it shocked the hell out of me, because I didn't know Quil could be so fucking dominating and skilled and-" Leah squirmed and Bella couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. Leah cleared her throat and regained her composure. "It was fine."

"Yeah." Bella placated her like she would a child. "It was _just_ fine."

"You should thank me." She narrowed her eyes at Bella. "I did you a favor."

"Poor thing. It sure sounds like it was pure torture." Bella chuckled at her friend's obvious discomfort. "So are you going to have sex with him again?"

"God, no. It was a one time thing."

Bella wasn't sure who Leah was trying to convince. "I wouldn't blame you if you did, though." She assured Leah.

"Oh shut up, B." She grumbled. "Just keep it to yourself. I've got a reputation to uphold."

"So you're sure Quil didn't tell Embry about it? Because Embry accused me of being weird, earlier."

"No. He swore he wouldn't." Leah assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Bella wondered. "Now that you gave him what he wanted, nothing's stopping him from letting the cat out of the bag."

"I've got it covered, B. Don't you worry about it."

 **A/N: Any thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews, guys. I appreciate every single one of them. A special thanks to YankeeGirlNJ. I appreciate your help and I adore that incredible imagination of yours.**

 **So...this is the chapter where Bella finally goes to see old Quil. Let's hope I don't disappoint. The chapter is a little longer than usual, but I can assure you it won't be a regular occurrence. Please excuse any spelling errors. I really wanted to get the chapter out, because I'm going away for the weekend and part of next week. I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to update.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all it's recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 5: The truth is a curse**

"I can't believe you, Jacob Black!" Bella ripped into him the moment they entered the house. She had kept her cool in front of their friends and family. She even kept her mouth shut on the short drive back from Sam and Emily's.

"What did I do?" He asked innocently. They hadn't spent much time together today at Sam and Emily's house, so it should be really obvious to him what his mistake had been.

"Oh, don't you play dumb with me, Jacob Black. You know exactly what you did," She accused, pointing a finger at him. She turned away and stalked toward the kitchen, flipping on the kettle and settling herself against the kitchen counter. The fact that he pretended to be oblivious to what had happened this afternoon, just served to intensify her anger.

"Is this about starting a family?" He followed her, looking genuinely confused as he came to a standstill in front of her.

"It is and it isn't." She folded her arms over her chest.

"Explain it to me then," He urged, looking a little annoyed at her (like he had any right to be), "Because I'm not a mind reader and you're sure as hell not making any sense."

"It's about the fact that you dropped that bomb in front of everyone, without thinking to talk to me about it first." She gritted her teeth. _"In private."_

"Well, silly me," He raked his hands through his hair in frustration, and narrowed his eyes at her. "I thought you wanted to have a baby! I thought you'd be happy about it."

"And I thought you weren't ready yet?" She countered, daring him to admit the truth, because for the life of her, she couldn't understand the sudden change of heart.

"Maybe I am, now." He shrugged coolly.

"And maybe I'm not, _now_." She challenged. She wanted a child with all her heart, but with Embry. There was no way she wanted to bring a child into this mess right now. Especially not before she could find out if she was permanently stuck in this life, or if there was a way for her to get back to Embry.

"It doesn't make sense, Bells." He shook his head at her in confusion. "You practically begged me to start a family, and now, all of a sudden, you're not ready."

"I'm just not sure that we're in the right place in our marriage for that." It was the most diplomatic answer she could come up with right now, without really lying to him.

"We were fine two days ago, and then you woke up yesterday morning a totally different person. You're cold and distant, and I'm genuinely worried that you're going to leave me." Jake moved closer to her and cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb gently across her skin. His eyes were dark with fear. "I love you _so much,_ Bella. And I'd be willing to give you anything you need to make you stay."

Bella's anger melted away in an instant at his earnest confession, and her heart ached for her best friend. She hated that she was hurting him; hated seeing him so unsure. "Thank you, Jake. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know, but I really am not ready at the moment."

"Are we okay, though?" He checked, searching her face for his answer.

"Yeah," Bella lied as best she could, hoping that she could put his mind at ease. "We're okay, Jake."

"What do you say to a movie, then?" His frown disappeared, making way for a genuine smile.

"I can do a movie." She returned his smile, relaxing for the first time since they stepped foot in the house. A movie was something safe.

"Make yourself comfortable while I pick out a DVD." He headed toward the TV, kneeled down in front of the cabinet where she'd found their wedding video yesterday, and pulled out a movie. "Alien vs. Predator?" He looked up at her eagerly.

"Aww." She pouted. "Can't I pick the movie today? You've seen that one a thousand times." Even in the life where they were _just_ best friends, Jake had made her watch this over and over, and she was really getting tired of it. She was surprised that the DVD still worked after all the torture it had been put through.

"Oh, come on Bells. You know you have terrible taste in movies." He spoke over his shoulder.

"I do not." She defended. She loved various genres and wasn't very picky, but there were only so many times she could stomach _that_ specific alien movie he seemed to love so much. "Just let me pick one this once. _Please?"_

"Like what?" He turned around to look at her skeptically - his choice of movie firmly clutched in a large hand - which made her sure that her choice would be irrelevant, no matter how good her suggestion was. He had already made up his mind; she knew him well enough to know this much.

 _"Like…"_ She thought about a movie she was sure would be in his collection. "A Million Ways to Die in the West?"

"That shit's boring, Bells." He arched a brow, "Besides, you know I don't like western movies."

"What? It's a comedy." He was being stubborn, just like she had predicted. She was not going to win this one, but she challenged him anyway. "And why did you buy it if you don't like it?"

"We can watch it tomorrow. I promise." He ignored her question and instead, shot her his best persuasive grin. "I'm just really in the mood for some aliens."

Just a short few minutes ago, Jake had said he'd give her anything she wanted. A baby he could do. A movie of her choice? Not so much, apparently. She supposed "anything" did have its limits when it came to Jake.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes. "Let's watch Alien vs. Predator, then." _For the millionth-and-one time._

"Awesome, babe. You rock!" He popped open the cover and inserted the DVD, wearing a victorious smile that Bella didn't even need to see, to know it was there.

Bella couldn't seem to focus on the movie playing in front of her, and found her mind drifting back to one of her favorite times with Embry. It was a memory that she wouldn't trade for all the money in the world.

 ** _*Flashback* (A/N Warning: Yes, this is going to be a little awkward)_**

"You sure about this, Bells?" Embry asked as he sat on his knees, straddling her and holding his huge cock (it probably wouldn't fit, but it was worth a shot) in his one hand and a condom in the other. They were in the back seat of his Valiant, parked in the woods. They couldn't go to her house – Charlie was there. Paul was staying over at Embry's place, because his geyser had burst the previous day and practically everything in his house was wet. She didn't want her first time in a house where Paul might overhear them, so back seat of the car it was. Still, she didn't mind. Tonight had been perfect so far, and she was pretty sure that it was only going to get better. She had experienced for the first time tonight how good it felt when he fingered her, and even more so when he tasted her. In fact, he'd made her come so hard with that skilled tongue of his, that her mind had gone all hazy from pleasure overload. She really appreciated that he hadn't pushed her even once, for anything other than a kiss, since they started dating.

"I'm sure about this, Em. I want you right now. I don't want to wait any longer." She assured him and stroked his cheek.

Embry bit the foil packet between his teeth and tore it open, and Bella felt her insides clench together in need. A surge of wetness pooled between her thighs at the cool, confident way with which he squeezed the condom from the golden wrapper and rolled it over his cock. Oh boy, he was surely going to ruin her if he managed to get that thing inside of her.

"Is it going to hurt?" She looked up into his eyes, needing to know what to expect, though she was sure she already knew the answer. Tonight, the usual dark brown eyes of his were replaced by lust-filled, midnight eyes.

"Probably, Bells." He grimaced. "But I promise I'll take it slow." He grabbed her chin between two fingers and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "And if you want me to stop, just tell me."

Bella nodded. "Okay." She was grateful that he was straight forward with her. No hidden surprises or disillusionment when it came to her first time.

"Ready, baby?" He asked and leaned over her, twined his fingers with hers where her hand rested above her head, the other gripping her hip to hold her steady. She could feel the tip of him push against her entrance, stretching her open, and her heart raced in excitement and anticipation. She was so ready for this. She had fallen head over heels in love with Embry, and this was just the next step for them.

"Yes, please, Em." She moaned. She wanted him so badly, that she wasn't sure she could wait another minute.

With torturous slowness, Embry eased himself into her, inch by maddening inch, making Bella pant and clutch his shoulder as she felt the burning sensation of her walls being stretched to fit more than just the tip of his cock. It felt hot and thick inside of her and she was sure nothing could ever feel as good as having him claim her body like this.

"You okay?" Embry asked, eyes squeezed shut and lips tight.

"Keep going," Bella encouraged him, but gasped as she felt him push through her barrier.

"I think that was the worst of it." Embry assured her. "We're past the most painful part now." He kissed her tenderly, holding still so she could adjust. She appreciated the fact that he was so very gentle with her.

"Good," She panted against his lips and bucked her hips up into him, willing him to keep moving. "Because I need more."

 _"Okay."_ He nodded, sounding surprised, and pulled almost completely out of her, before pushing back in, oh so slowly.

Bella bit her lip to keep from moaning. She wasn't sure how much noise she was meant to make and she didn't want to turn Embry off, but it was hard to stop herself when it felt so damn good. She looked up into his eyes, eager to see what he was feeling as his hips undulated at a very slow pace, setting fire to her body with every push and pull. And when she did, she kind of wished that she hadn't. It didn't look like he was enjoying this very much. Why would he? He was used to girls who knew what they were doing, and he got himself stuck with virginal old Bella for a girlfriend - someone he had to guide every step of the way, tonight. Someone who didn't know how to be wild and sexy for him.

"What's wrong?" Bella worried at the expression on Embry's face. He almost looked like he was in pain. Did she do something wrong? Or did it just not feel good?

"Nothing's wrong, Bells." Embry panted and bit down hard on his bottom lip as his movements stilled. It took a few seconds before he spoke again. "You're just so fucking tight that it's taking all of my will power not to come like a teenage virgin."

"Teenage virgin, huh?" She giggled, making Embry groan and squeeze his eyes shut.

"Don't." He breathed. "Don't laugh. It's really not helping the situation. You're squeezing tighter around me when you do."

"Oh!" Her eyes widened at the realization." She was relived that he was enjoying it, and hearing that he was struggling to keep it together because of her, sent a thrill of excitement through her. "Sorry," She pretended to be serious. "But it's just funny, because I'm the teenage virgin. Not you."

"Tell me about it." He grinned that crooked grin of his and rolled his eyes. "But in all seriousness, Bella, I'm warning you that this is probably not going to last very long. _I'm_ not going to last very long. Don't get me wrong, it feels so good. Way too good. That's the problem. I'm already reciting 'The Star-Spangled Banner' in my head, just so I can last a little longer. I really wanted your first time to be special, and I'm ruining it for you. But Jesus, the way you feel around me is making me lose my mind. I promise next time will be better. It'll last longer."

Bella couldn't help but laugh a full-bellied laugh at his admission, but at the sight of Embry's grimace, her laughter died down. "Sorry Em." She reached up and stroked his face. "It _is_ special. I'm so glad you're my first. I was very nervous for tonight, but you've made me feel really comfortable so far."

"Comfortable, huh?" He frowned. "I don't want you comfortable. I want you hot, and panting and crying out my name." He grinned mischievously and lifted her legs, wrapping it around his hips. He pulled back his hips and sank deeper into her this time, hitting a place inside of her that made her body hum with pleasure.

"Oh god!" Bella moaned and her body bucked up into him again, begging for more of this insane feeling. It felt so good. She loved this angle that allowed him deeper into her body.

"Yeah. Exactly like that, baby!" He panted and nodded his head, eyes squeezed shut tightly. He recovered his rhythm, very slowly sinking into her and pulling out again, over and over. Warm, nimble fingers found her clit, circling it with the pad of a thumb, sending jolts of electricity up her spine. "I'm so goddamn close, baby." He groaned, "And I _need_ you to come with me." He pinched her nub between two fingers, making her cry out. His breathing was becoming more labored by the second, muscles tensed way too tight. Small beads of sweat had started to collect along his forehead as he strained to hold back his release.

She couldn't seem to take her eyes off him; she wanted to see what he looked like when he lost it because of her. She wanted to see his face when he came inside of her, but as the pressure deep inside of her belly continued to build, she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open.

Embry lowered his head and kissed the valley between her breasts, before taking a nipple into his mouth, hips thrusting unevenly into her. He swirled his tongue around the sensitive peak, and nibbled on it like her body was a feast. "Jesus, Bella." He pinched her clit again. "I can't-" He shook his head groaned. "I'm gonna come, baby," He said just as Bella's walls fluttered and clamped down around him.

"Oh my god, Embry!" She cried out. Her body arched up and her toes curled, pleasure ripping through her body with such intensity that she feared she might come apart at the seams. She gripped his shoulders tightly while her body trembled and convulsed around him, feeling like she had lost any and all control of her body as it responded to the pleasure without any deliberate input from her. She finally understood what all the hype was about - why people loved sex so much. Orgasming as a result of foreplay was one thing, but _this_ \- sex with Embry - was heaven.

Embry's hips stuttered and he groaned out his pleasure into the soft skin between her shoulder and neck as he let go, pumping hard and deliberately into her. "Oh _fuck,_ Bells." She felt his body relax and his movements still, and she wasn't sure that anything could top what she just experienced. He let his forehead rest on her chest as he pulled himself together, stroking her hair with an absent hand.

"That was so good, Em." She panted, her breathing labored. "You have no idea how good."

"I think I might have some idea." He chuckled. "I'm surprised that I managed to hold out for as long as I did. I was pretty close to losing it, for a minute there."

"I wouldn't trade it for the world." She forced his head up so she could see his eyes.

"Yeah?" He looked surprised, but pleased, eyes a little hazy.

"I'm so glad my first time was with you."

"Hopefully I'll be your last, too." He carefully pulled out of Bella, but she winced none the less. She was quite tender right now, but her body had never felt this alive before. She felt boneless, yet invincible, and she loved that the pain between her legs was evidence that Embry had been there, inside of her. That he'd made love to her. Embry lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms. He played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around a large finger.

"I hope so too, baby." She agreed.

The rise and fall of his chest was making her sleepy, and she snuggled closer into him. She felt so sated and relaxed, wanting nothing more than to lay here in his arms for the rest of the night.

She was very close to falling asleep when he suddenly spoke.

"I'm falling for you, Bella." He whispered against her hair, like he was admitting a deep, dark secret. "Really hard."

She nodded against him, butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach at his admission. "Yeah." A sleepy smile broke out on her face. "I know the feeling." She had been feeling this way for quite a while now and she was glad to know that he felt the same.

 ** _*End of flashback*_**

* * *

Bella looked around at the bookstore. It was cute. Not very big, but big enough for Forks, she supposed. And _she_ was the proud owner. What did surprise her, was how adequately stocked the store was. There was quite a variety of books to choose from, and a cozy reading corner was hidden at the back of the store, with two large, comfy looking couches and three been bag chairs. If she were a customer, she could very easily get lost in her own world in that corner.

Leah had offered to come in an hour early so she could show Bella how to work the register and explain the ordering of stock to her, before Kim arrived. She was pleased to discover that she was already able to function like she had been working here for years, without raising any suspicions.

Lunch time was rolling around, and after sending a happy customer on her way, Bella pulled Leah to the side to tell her that she was going to head over to old Quil in her lunch hour.

"You need me to come with you for back-up?" Leah asked, making it sound like she was going on a dangerous mission, instead of just paying an old man a visit.

"No. I think I'll be fine, Lee." She declined her friend's offer and grabbed her purse and car keys. "I have to do this on my own, but I just don't think I can wait any longer."

"Okay." Leah agreed. "Go get your answers, then."

"Do you think he's going to mind if I show up unannounced?" Bella wondered. He was a respected and important man. Surely he would have expected her to make an appointment with him.

"Not really. I'm sure he's been expecting you." Leah assured Bella.

"Yeah," She nodded. "You're right." He had told Leah that he needed to see her, after all.

She squared her shoulders and gave Leah a nervous smile as she headed for Jake's car, and unlocked it. Leah had followed her outside, and closed the door for her when she slid into her seat. "Wish me luck." She buckled up, wondering if she should reconsider and ask her friend to come with.

"Go get 'em, tiger. You can do this." Leah gave her the last bit of encouragement she needed, waved goodbye and headed back to the store.

As soon as Bella saw Leah disappear in the rear view mirror, her courage seemed to fly out the window. She could still turn around and head back to the store. Old Quil had no idea that she was on her way to him, so if she didn't pitch, he'd be none the wiser. But this was something she needed to do, and delaying the inevitable wasn't going to do her any good. She just wished she knew how to initiate the conversation with him. Something like, _'_ _Hey, Mr Ateara. So, I'm stuck in a life with Jake, but I'm actually married to Embry. Any ideas about what went wrong?'_ What if he only told Leah that there was a legend, and that he wanted to see the person involved, so he could get every one of the council members together so they could joke about her mental status?

Halfway to La Push, Bella found that she didn't care about the consequences. She just wanted answers. So she pushed the gas pedal down a little more, urging Jake's car to go a little faster. She was anxious to get this over and done with, but she kept an eye out for any cops. If her father, or one of the deputy's, caught her for speeding, he would sure as shit have her locked up. But not before giving her a long and painful speech about how speed kills, and how he had thought she was more responsible than this.

Whatever. She had business to attend to.

As the rabbit raced past the welcome to La Push sign, Bella felt an overwhelming sense victory that she had made it to the Reservation in less than fifteen minutes. Her old truck would never have made the journey here in anything under twenty minutes. She had been sad to find out that old Bess hadn't made it, but grateful at the same time for Jake's rabbit. It was much faster than Bess could ever be. According to Leah, Jake had bought himself a truck when he gave her his old car. Apparently a truck suited Jake better with his line of work.

Bella glanced at the piece of scrap paper lying on her passenger seat - a make-shift map Leah had drawn for her. She had no idea where old Quil lived. It looked easy enough, though, and she only had to check the map once more, before she brought the car to a stop in front of a weathered old house. The curtains were drawn closed behind white window frames, and the paint peeled from the wood. The outside of this house was in serious need of a little maintenance, and she made a mental note to talk to Quil about it when she saw him again.

Next to the porch steps was a small ramp - she wondered if it was built specifically to accommodate her 'father-in-law'?

Bella got out of the car with shaking legs and headed for the porch, taking the steps one at a time to avoid an unnecessary injury. Her stomach clenched in nervous anticipation as she stopped in front of the door. What if he wasn't here? Or what if he was busy and asked her to come back another time? She wasn't sure she could summon up enough patience to wait any longer.

She knocked on the door and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She could do this. She had nothing to fear.

"Come in," She heard old Quil call out. "The door's open."

She swallowed hard and pushed the door open, stepping inside. It was a little dark inside and she had to wait a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the house. Had the old man had taken a nap before she interrupted?

The air was thick and house smelled a little musty, like the windows were kept shut on a permanent basis, but she was intrigued by the colorful native artwork on the walls. A portrait of a young Native American man with a traditional feathered warbonnet, hung in the hallway, and Bella wondered if this was old Quil in his youth? Embry had told her that only leaders of the tribe wore warbonnets - a sign that the wearer had earned a great amount of respect from his people.

Tapestries with tribal patterns hung from the walls and tribal art and carvings were visible on every surface imaginable, as she entered the living room. It was really incredible to see. Had old Quil collected all these pieces during the years, or had his wife decorated the house like this when she'd still been alive?

In the dim light of a lamp sat old Quil, a piece of newspaper at his feet, littered with wood shavings. A weathered hand held a small piece of wood that was carved into the shape of an eagle, the other hand holding a small knife.

"Bella Swan." Old Quil greeted and pushed his glasses up from where it rested low on his nose. He indicated for her to take a seat, by lifting a bony hand, and she obeyed. "Welcome."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Bella asked as she made herself comfortable on the worn-out seat. It reminded her of the couch she had bought with Embry when they first moved in together - they had always referred to it as their love couch. _Oh, if that couch could tell stories..._ Bella forced her mind out of the gutter and focused on the man in front of her. "I wanted to call first, but I really needed to come and see you, sir. I couldn't wait any longer."

"There are not many things a man of my age does anymore these days, that could be deemed important enough to be interrupted." He assured Bella with twinkling eyes. She noticed for the first time that the wrinkles around old Quil's eyes were actually laugh lines, making her wonder if Quil Jr had inherited his sense of humor from his grandfather.

Bella offered the older man a small smile, eyes drifting back to the carving in his hand. "It's really beautiful, Mr Ateara." She pointed at the eagle. "I wish I had the ability to make something as beautiful as that."

"It's an age old tradition, passed on from father to son, ever since I can remember." He informed her, turned the carving over in his hand and tracing the edges with a pale finger. "The eagle is a sign of courage, wisdom and strength." He informed her.

"A loved one told me about the eagle, once." She admitted and swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she should mention that it was Embry. She wanted to find out what the old man knew, first, before she revealed too much.

"Embry, yes?" He leaned toward her and handed the eagle to her. "I was wondering when you'd come and see me about him, child." She wondered how he knew this. Leah had said she had left out the details when she came to ask old Quil about Bella's situation. But somehow, she felt certain that old Quil just _knew_ things - things that would boggle her mind if she thought about it too much.

"Thank you." She accepted the carving, looking closer at it. The detail was astounding and she was surprised that the old man could still carve so well. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, Mr. Ateara."

He nodded. "I knew you'd come to me when you were ready for the truth." He pointed a bony finger at the carving in her hand, "That eagle will be your reminder of what lies ahead, and it will guide you to be courageous, strong and wise in your task."

"Is whatever is going on with me really going to be that bad?" She frowned, keeping her eyes trained on her hands.

"It will surely challenge you, Bella." He nodded and leaned forward in his seat. "But you're strong. I know you can do this."

"Leah had mentioned something about a legend, sir." She pressed on, hungry for an explanation. "What does it say?"

"It's called the curse of the wandering mate." He told her in a voice that she had often heard Billy use on nights at bonfires, when he told stories about the Quileute legends. Hushed but insistent words that implored you to listen to what was being said.

"Wandering mate?" She questioned the man. What the hell did that mean? It sounded like something from a movie - _doomed to walk the earth forever, alone._

"Yes, child." He nodded, "When a Quileute male finds his mate for life, but she isn't of Quileute descent like he is, and he marries her, the man needs to mark her as his own - bind them together with the magic of the Quileute gods, if you will. This is a way of making her part of the tribe. This is how she becomes a true Quileute. If he doesn't mark her, he leaves her open to other choices. Other men. If the mate is unhappy in her marriage, a curse is placed on the relationship by the gods. They see the man as weak, because he refuses to claim and take what is his, and make her part of his people. This specific curse leaves the mate wandering between two worlds, giving her a chance to choose another mate."

"So if two members of the Quileute tribe get married, they are magically bound together, because of their ancestry, but not when someone from outside marries a Quileute male?"

"Correct." He nodded. "Contrary to belief, the marriage between a Quileute and an outsider is not frowned upon. The council - and the gods, for that matter - simply require the husband to make his wife part of the tribe, by marking her."

"What about Sam and Emily? She's from the Makah reservation, and only Quileute on her mother's side?"

"Yes. Making her half Quileute." The old man agreed, "But Sam did mark her."

"He did?" She was surprised to hear this, and made a mental note to look for a scar when she saw Emily again.

"Yes." Old Quil answered simply. How did she not know this? She had been with Embry for a little over six years, and he'd never mentioned something about this to her. Neither did Sam or Emily.

"So, did Embry know that he was supposed to mark me?"

"He did. He was told this the day he announced your engagement to the council." Old Quil looked a little displeased.

"Did he know about the consequences?" Bella, too, was now leaning forward in her seat as she questioned the old man.

"Yes, child. He knew about everything." He assured Bella. "We told him exactly what needed to be done."

"And still he chose not to mark me? Why?" She hated the fact that she was starting to question Embry's commitment to her, but even worse, she felt betrayed by him.

"Embry has always _been_ a great advocate for choice." The older man explained, though still not looking happy about it. "He refused to keep you tied to him. If one day you decided that you didn't want to stay with him anymore, he was willing to set you free."

"So, what happens if I don't choose him?" Would she even consider choosing Jake instead?

"You will disappear from his life, like you never existed." Mr Ateara's voice sounded grave as he explained the consequences.

"But that's not fair. So there will be no repercussions for his actions? Or rather lack thereof?" She demanded. She would be the only one to know what she had lost, all because she had never been given a choice in the matter. Embry, the 'advocate for choice', didn't even present her with the option of being marked.

"Of course there will be." Old Quil assured her. "He will always remember you. He will remember what happened, even when the others don't. He will know what he lost, and he will know that it was all because of the choice he made _for_ you and not _with_ you."

"So, I will simply cease to exist in that life? Nobody except Embry will know about me?" It was a little depressing to think about. No mark left by her in that life - only Embry's regret.

"Correct."

"So what happens now? What do I have to do to go back?" She needed to know the answer to this, more than anything else.

"You have fourteen days from the time the curse set in, to make Embry fall in love with you again. If you fail, you will remain here forever." He made it sound so easy. Where was the catch?

"Okay. I guess I can work with that." She assured the old man.

"My child, you have to remember why you are here in the first place. You wanted to know what life would have been like with Jacob. You will be biased where Embry is concerned. That is natural and to be expected, but if you don't give Jacob a chance, you will never be sure if you're truly happy with Embry."

"So I have to give Jake a chance _and_ make Embry fall in love with me? That's ridiculous. How does one even manage that?" She demanded.

"Opportunities will arise, I assure you." He smiled encouragingly at her. "It all depends on the choices you make."

"Oh god," She shook her head and sighed. "I'm so confused right now."

"Start by being the wife that _Jacob_ needs - the wife you would have been to him had you chosen him. The rest will follow."

"It's too little time." She protested.

"Just have faith, young one. And decide what you truly want."

* * *

Leah eyed Bella very carefully for the rest of the day, like she was waiting for the chance to ask her all about what old Quil had said. As luck would have it though, they didn't have a moment alone without Kim in the vicinity.

The rush began just after three, and lasted until it was time to close the shop. She supposed it made sense. Many of the shoppers were school kids, who only dropped by after school. Bella was grateful for the distraction, though. She had been worrying none-stop about the time limit of this curse, since she stepped out of old Quil's house. How could she be the wife that Jake needed, but also make Embry fall in love with her at the same time? In order to make Embry fall in love with her, she needed to spend time with him - time she would be using to be a good wife for Jake.

"You okay?" Leah asked her as they closed up shop.

"Fine, Lee." Bella assured her. "Just a lot to think about." She looked over her shoulder, to find Kim paying close attention.

"You know you can talk to me any time you need to; I'm available day or night."

"Thanks." Bella nodded. "I appreciate it. I'll drop by some time to tell you all about it."

The house was dimly lit when Bella entered, and soft music played in the background. The dining table was set with candles, wine glasses and plates. This reminded her about the night of Embry's and her second anniversary.

"Jake?" She called out as she headed to the table.

"Hey, my beautiful wife." He greeted her with a big smile and pulled a large bouquet of lilies from behind his back.

"You're home early." She smiled and accepted the flowers. "Oh Jesus," A thought occurred to her. Was she just like Embry right now, forgetting an anniversary. "Don't tell me I've forgotten about a special occasion?"

He chuckled and kissed her on the lips in greeting. "You didn't." He assured her. "This," he waved his hand over the romantic setting, "Is just to say sorry for the way I acted in front of everyone at Sam and Emily's, yesterday."

"Jake," She sighed, her heart melting. "I thought we've already put this behind us?"

"I felt really bad for dropping the 'let's have a baby' bomb in front of your father." He pulled out a chair and motioned for her to take a seat. He didn't wait for her answer, but pulled out a bottle of her favorite red wine, and poured each of them a glass.

"How was your day?" He asked, taking a seat opposite her.

"Good. The usual, I guess. Slow in the morning, but it definitely picked up in the afternoon. Your's?"

"Nothing special to report, either." He smiled. "But there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Shoot," She took a large sip of her wine, closing her eyes to savor the taste.

"I've really been thinking about us starting a family," He said, making Bella choke and splutter into her wine glass in a very unladylike manner. "And I know I said I wanted to wait, but I don't, anymore. I'd really like for you to reconsider your answer."

"Jake," She ran a hand through her locks. "Just give me a couple of weeks to think about it?" If things didn't work out with Embry, what was the point in waiting? If she didn't succeed in winning him over, she would give Jake what he wanted - what _she_ wanted.

"I can work with that," He awarded her with his best sunny smile. "At least it's not a flat-out no."

"So, what's for dinner?" She changed the subject.

"Uh," He scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "You know I'm shit at cooking, so I ordered Chinese. Thought we could serve it on plates. It's still romantic, right?"

Bella chuckled at his honesty. "Yeah. It's the thought that counts."

The take-out had been a winner. The two of them had stuffed their faces like they haven't eaten in years, barely chewing or tasting their food. She should have been very embarrassed about the amount of food she'd just consumed, but she was way too full to care.

"Oh my god, that was good." Bella rubbed her stomach and relaxed back into the chair. "Can't remember the last time I had Chinese."

"Last week." He frowned.

Bella scrambled to save herself from this. She had spoken before thinking - her full stomach was cutting off her brain function. "Yeah, see." She gave him her best grin. "Way too long ago."

She seemed to have succeeded, because Jake nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Definitely too long. I swear I could eat Chinese take-out every day of the week and still be a very happy man."

Bella pushed her chair back and started to clear the plates, but Jake grabbed her hand to stop her. "I'll tidy up while you take a nice, long bubble bath." He pushed her wine glass and the bottle of wine into her hands. "Go relax."

"You sure?" Bella was surprised by this. From what she'd seen so far, he never offered to do the dishes. Maybe old Quil was right - she needed to give Jake a fair chance, before making up her mind.

"Go. You know _this,"_ he motioned to the dishes, "Doesn't happen very often. So don't complain."

"Okay then," Bella lifted the bottle of wine up to him in a salute, "See you later. I might be a while." She turned and headed down to the bathroom, before he could change his mind. She placed her glass and bottle next to the large tub, and turned on the faucets.

She perched herself on the side of the corner tub and watched as the tub filled. Jake had really surprised her tonight. He had made her a romantic dinner (or bought), and washed the dishes. He even encouraged her to pamper herself for once.

This is exactly what she had wanted Embry to do for her. Not every day, but just now and then.

The shower doors and the bathroom mirror was fogging up, and Bella leaned in to test the water. Finding it a little too hot for her taste, she added more cold water, and started stripping herself of her clothes. By the time she was done, the water was perfect, and she carefully lowered herself into the tub, lying back and closing her eyes.

"Mind if I join?" She jerked awake when she heard Jacob speak next to her. When had she fallen asleep? She covered herself out of habit, and looked up to find Jacob standing next to her, naked as the day he was born. She blushed at the sight of him - all muscled and sexy and...hard. She swallowed thickly, but didn't avert her eyes. _Technically,_ she was allowed to stare at his gorgeous naked body, but her words had dried up. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't say no, but somehow it felt more intimate to have him take a bath with her, than it did when they had sex.

Bella's obvious ogling of Jake, and her silence, was apparently answer enough for him, because he eased himself gracefully into the bath, but stood in front of her (with that monster-thing of his pointing at her face), waiting for something.

She looked up into his eyes, arching a brow in hopes that he would explain.

"Bells," He grinned. "You have to get up so I can get into the water. I know it's been a while since we took a bath together, but you need to sit between my legs, or I won't fit."

Bella nodded like an idiot, "Okay." She pushed herself up and out of the water, standing face to face with Jake. He sank down into the water, gripped her by the hips and pulled her down with him, into his lap.

"Hey," She complained playfully, "I thought you said I have to sit between your legs, not on them." Her heart was pound loudly, and for some reason, sitting on his lap made her so very aroused.

"I know what I said," Jake's eyes twinkled, "But I really want to make love to you like this." He glided his hand down from her hip and over her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze.

He didn't push her any further. He was giving her a choice tonight. She would have to be the one to decide if she was going to let him make love to her. And she wasn't going to say no to him; she wasn't going to fight it tonight. She was going to be the wife that Jake needed. He deserved to be given a real chance.

Bella leaned over toward Jake and captured his lips in a careful kiss. He reciprocated without hesitation, and urged her to open her lips, deepening the kiss. The arousal she had felt just moments ago, was throbbing like a siren between her legs, now and she lifted her hips without breaking the kiss, lowering herself onto Jake and moaning into his mouth as she sheathed herself completely over his large cock.

"Yes, baby." He groaned, breaking the kiss. "Feels so good." But still, he didn't move. Bella wondered if he wanted - no, needed - her to take control tonight, and show him that she actually wanted this, as well. She twined her fingers into his short hair, gripping the back of Jake's neck with the other, and started to move.

At first, her movements were slow and sensual, starting a fire in her belly. It felt so good when he stretched her body, hitting a spot deep inside of her that made her tremble.

But the more she moved, the harder her downward thrusts became. He seemed to like it, gripping her hips tighter and spurring her on with eager moans and grunts, until she was thrusting wildly up and down like she was desperate. The water sloshed dangerously against the sides of the bathtub, threatening to spill over, but she couldn't give a damn right now. She was close to her orgasm, and keeping up this fast pace was going to get her there, very soon.

A few more seconds was all it took for her to tip over the edge into ecstasy. She vaguely heard Jake tell her he loved her, over her own cries of pleasure, as he followed behind her to his own release. His large hands gripped her hips even tighter, and he took control of the movements now, bucking himself up into her and spilling his hot seed deep inside of her.

He had been really sweet tonight, and even though he wasn't as thorough as Embry, the sex was still very, very good. He had never once left her wanting. Perhaps he could make her happy. And just maybe, she was actively looking for faults in Jacob, hell bent on convincing herself that she belonged with Embry. That really wasn't fair to Jake.

Would it really be so bad to be stuck with him if she couldn't make Embry fall in love with her in time?

 **A/N: How much do you hate me right now?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I was really pleased that some of you were annoyed with the last chapter. That's exactly the reaction I wanted. What was Bella thinking? Silly woman. Anyhow, on to the next chapter where she starts to figure her shit out. Thanks again to YankeeGirlNJ for the help. I'm not so sure you guys are gonna be too happy with Jake after this, but** **YankeeGirlNJ** **is partly to blame for his upcoming behavior (sorry for throwing you under the bus as well). If you guys don't like how I portray Jake in this story (or chapter), either suck it up, or don't read any further. I WILL DO ANYTHING in my power to make Bella get back together with Embry, even if it means making Jake the 'bad guy'. I do love Jake dearly, though...just not so much in this story. **

**Please note that this chapter doesn't include a flashback. If there is anything you would like to read about, concerning Bella and Embry's life (even if it's a snippet from Bella's POV about Quil and Leah), feel free to let me know. I will include a flashback about Embry's proposal to Bella in one of the upcoming chapters.**

 **Phewwww...that was a long author's note ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy, though. xxx**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 6: Struck dumb**

Bella shuffled into the kitchen at six o'clock the next morning, squinting as she turned on the light. She flipped on the kettle and prepared two mugs for coffee.

She stretched out her body, feeling a little sore in some places due to recent unexpected, but eager activities, and leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle to boil. She groaned as she realized that, including today, she had eleven days left to make Embry fall in love with her. _Only eleven._ She'd spent a great deal of time making Jacob happy, especially last night, but she'd have to start balancing her priorities, or she might lose Embry forever.

After last night, Bella had been sure that she'd be just fine if she didn't succeed in her task; she could be happy with Jake, too. But the more time passed, the more she missed Embry. She missed their easy camaraderie, their wildfire attraction to each other, and their teamwork in everything. The latter was something she and Jake didn't have even a tiny scrap of. She felt like she was simply a housekeeper for a lazy and perpetually horny (and hungry, for that matter) teenager. So, for today, her task as a good wife would be to pack Jake's lunch and make him breakfast. No funny business.

By the time Jake entered the kitchen, Bella already had one coffee in her system, and was starting on her second one. She handed Jake his mug as he gave her a morning kiss - one she demanded be kept chase, by using the excuse of 'morning breath' – and dished up a large helping of eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit for him.

They made idle chit chat while she joined him, eating her own bowl of fruit and yogurt. He seemed like he was in a good mood, and she wondered if it had anything to do with last night? She wriggled in her chair when she thought about how rough he'd been with her in bed. Nothing about what they did after their 'bath' together, could be considered making love. They had fucked - simple as that. It was needy, hard and feral. _And way too good._ She needed to slow things down. She couldn't carry on like this while she actually planned on getting Embry to fall in love with her.

After sending Jake on his merry way, she jumped into the shower to wash away any lingering traces of sweat and come from her body. She even tried to scrub away the guilt – she really hadn't intended to be so willing and receptive of Jake's advances last night, but she blamed some of it on the wine she'd had – letting him take her twice more before they eventually fell asleep just after midnight, but at least he was complacent now. It would be so much easier to continue with her task when Jake thought that everything between them was peachy.

* * *

Leah was a little more impatient at work that day, trying her best to get Bella alone to talk about what old Quil had said, but as luck would have it, there was little time to do anything but work. School was officially out, and for the next eleven days at least, this was probably what every workday was going to be like. They made turns to help the customers on the floor, work the register and keep track of stock. The store was busy from the time they opened up, until closing time - no usual morning or afternoon rush, with a customer or two trickling in here and there during the quieter times. The reading corner had been full for most of the day - something she was really happy about - and the last occupant of the little corner, left just before three.

She cursed the fact that she had decided to wear heels and a skirt to work today. She had blisters on her feet from all the chaffing these gorgeous but impractical shoes had done, and she could kick herself for not leaving a pair of comfy, back-up shoes in the car. The smart option would have been to go with flats and her black palazzo pants. _But no_ , she had to look professional for work this morning. It wouldn't be a bad idea to invest in a few more pairs of comfy shoes and work-appropriate pants though, considering the busy times that lay ahead for the store.

"Do you guys think we should get another assistant until school starts up again in August?" Bella asked as the last customer left the store just after four.

"Nah," Kim shook her head. "We've always seemed to manage in the past. Right, Leah?"

"Yeah," Leah agreed, "No need to worry about us. We can handle it, B."

"Even on weekends? Are you sure?" Bella wondered. "How are you going to manage the floor and work the register?" She had seen what today had been like, and she was doubtful that they would be able to cope on their own.

"We just do. Our customers are pretty understanding and very patient." Kim assured Bella. "We'll be just fine."

"Alright then. But the offer stands if you two change your mind."

"We'll keep it in mind." Leah said as she turned off the lights in the back of the store and made sure all the windows were closed, while Bella cashed up and Kim wiped down the counter.

Let's head out." Bella announced as she locked the money in the safe. "My feet hurt like hell and I'm really looking forward to a nice, long bath." Preferably alone, tonight. God knows, she couldn't keep giving it up to Jake like a little hussy. She was acting like she was sex starved nympho.

* * *

Bella made a quick pit stop at the store after work, to buy the ingredients she needed for tonight, grabbing a French loaf as well. She knew Jake would be hungry when he got home – he was always hungry. There would definitely be more than enough food.

She put a large pot of pasta on the stove to boil when she arrived home, and changed from her work clothes into a comfy pair of yoga pants and a strapless top, opting to go barefoot tonight to give her poor battered feet a rest.

"I'm home." Jake called out as he walked into the house, Embry following behind him (her heart stuttered when she saw Embry). Jake rounded the counter and gave Bella a peck on the mouth, announcing that Embry would be joining them for dinner, and she thanked her lucky stars that she had decided to make more food than Jake and she could consume by themselves. She would have preferred if Jake gave her some sort of heads-up beforehand, though, but kept her mouth shut about it.

"Are you sure you are fine with me staying for dinner, Bella?" Embry remembered his manners, unlike Jake, who just assumed she'd be fine with it. He didn't need to know how happy she was to have Embry here.

"It's no problem." She smiled politely, trying not to give away her obvious elation at seeing him. She had started worrying about when she'd get a chance to see him again, and was glad the opportunity had presented itself without any effort from her side.

The boys planted themselves in front of the television, getting lost in some sort of game on Jake's Xbox, leaving Bella wondering how she could start worming her way into Embry's heart without making it too obvious, but she was coming up empty.

While the pasta cooked, Bella busied herself by cutting up the bacon, onions and mushrooms, trying her best to push Embry from her mind for now and focus on finishing dinner instead.

"Hey babe?" Jake called from the couch without tearing his eyes away from the screen. "Would you mind grabbing a beer for us?"

With hands full of raw bacon, Bella stared slack-jawed at Jake. Could he not see that she was busy right now? She bit her tongue, instead of flinging a snide remark at him for his laziness, and turned toward the sink to rinse her hands. A warm hand on her shoulder made her jump in surprise. She didn't even hear Embry come up behind her.

"Don't worry about it, Bella. I'll grab the beer. I can see you've got your hands full at the moment." Embry grinned and motioned toward her hands. Why couldn't Jake be as thoughtful as Embry was being right now?

"Dude!" Jake shouted at Embry. "You're going to make us lose this game. She's more than free to bring us the beer. She's got two perfectly functional hands and nothing to do but cook. Get your ass back here."

For a split second, Bella saw something flash behind those dark eyes of Embry's as he looked at her. It looked a lot like annoyance, or maybe even anger. What she couldn't quite figure out, though, was if he was annoyed with _her_ for her lack of hospitality, or at _Jake_ for speaking to her like he just did. She suspected that it was the latter, when Embry gave her a sympathetic smile. He hauled ass back to Jake (before he could complain again), two beers in hand, and settled into his seat next to Jake again, leaving Bella to finish dinner in peace. She appreciated the fact that Embry was kind enough to get the beers himself, unlike Jake, who seemed to get lost in the world of guns and claymore, as soon as he turned on his Xbox.

"So, Bells," Jake spoke around a mouthful of pasta as they all sat around the kitchen table for dinner. "I was thinking that you should probably put the bookstore up for sale, soon. Don't you agree?"

Bella choked into the glass of red wine she was sipping and looked up at Jake in complete shock. "What?" She managed to croak out, wiping away the excess liquid that had dribbled down her chin.

"Yeah," He nodded. "I mean, if we're going to start a family, you need to be able to focus on the baby and not worry about keeping that silly bookstore of yours going. You're going to have your hands full keeping the house clean, cooking dinner and looking after our child."

"A hypothetical child." Bella reminded him, flicking her eyes up to Embry's briefly, trying to gauge his reaction. She didn't want him thinking that she and Jake were planning on having a baby. That would make her chances with him less than zero. "I said I needed time to decide, Jake." This was really not the kind of conversation that she wanted to have in front of a guest. He was doing the same thing he had done at Sam and Emily's on Sunday, and it was pissing her off.

"Still, I know you'll give in eventually. So why drag it out?" He pressed on, no at all deterred by the fact that his best friend had to endure this awkward conversation.

"Do you really think this is the time to have this particular conversation, Jake?" Bella motioned to Embry. "We've got a guest, and we're making him feel uncomfortable."

"You don't mind, do you Em?" Jake asked, but dismissed his friend without waiting for an answer. "See, Bells. Em doesn't mind." He assured her.

"Jake, please?" She implored him to drop the subject.

"All I'm trying to say is that the bookstore is more hassle than it's actually worth, and financially we'll be just fine. You don't have to work. It's not like that little store of yours makes any real profit, anyway."

"Excuse me?" Bella asked incredulously. "No real profit? Who do you think paid for that pool outside?" She reminded him. "Me!" She pushed her chair back and stood. "My 'little' store _paid_ for that pool."

"Sit down, Bella!" Jake commanded in a no-nonsense tone, ignoring what she'd just said. "You're making a scene, and we're not done eating. Mind your bloody manners."

Bella sat down out of pure shock, not sure if she heard Jacob correctly. Since when did he speak to her like this?

One look at Embry told Bella that this wasn't a regular occurrence. He looked just as shocked as she did.

"Eat your food." Another command from Jake. "You need to be healthy if you want to get pregnant."

"I'm not hungry anymore." She challenged him. She had lost her appetite and her throat felt thick from the tears that threatened to spill. She was the type of girl who cried when she got angry, and not so much when she was sad.

"It's not a request, Bella." He arched a brow and fixed her with a cowering glare.

"Jake, man. Just-" Embry tried to defend her, but Jake cut him off.

"Stay out of it, Em."

For the next ten minutes, they ate in silence. Or, at least, tried. She couldn't seem to get her food down. She was so shocked at the way Jake was behaving tonight. It was almost like he was trying to show Embry a good example of how a husband should dominate his wife – put her in her place, so to speak. Had Jake been like this with her before, when they were alone? Because she sure as hell had never seen this side of Jake, ever, and the fact that she thought she could be happy with him (she'd thought this just last night), made her sick to her stomach. They guy who'd spoiled her the previous night, 'making' her dinner, buying her flowers and wine, was a totally different man than the one currently sitting next to her at the dinner table. What had gotten in to him? If he'd had a bad day at work, it wasn't reason enough for him to take it out on her like this.

When the men had finally finished their food, Jake excused himself (and the rest of the table, for that matter), heading back toward the Xbox, leaving his plate and empty beer bottle right there on the table, making no effort to take it to the sink.

Embry didn't follow Jake, but joined her instead, as she dumped the dirty dishes into the sink and turned on the hot water.

"Are you okay?" He whispered.

Bella glanced over her shoulder at Jake, afraid that he might be listening. She didn't want to test his temper tonight. "I'm fine." She assured Embry with a fake smile and turned back to the dishes, squeezing dishwashing liquid into the water.

Embry caught her hand with his and gave it a gentle squeeze, forcing her to look up at him. "Let me do the dishes, Bella. You can dry off."

"It's really not necessary." Bella declined his offer. "I can manage."

"Oh, I know you can." He gave her that beautiful smile of his that made her want to wrap herself in his comforting embrace – the embrace that could make her forget about everything bad in this world. "But I wanna help. It's my way of saying thank you for dinner. Besides, you've done more than enough, tonight."

Bella scooted over, relinquishing the sink to Embry, and started drying off the dishes that he handed her. She was surprised that Jake didn't complain about it, but in all honesty, she couldn't care less at the moment. She was planning on heading over to Leah's the moment the dishes were done.

Embry and Bella worked in companionable silence for the next few minutes, finishing up quickly, thanks to his help. She wished Jake could take a few tips from his best friend, and she wondered why in the hell she had ever thought Embry didn't make her happy? She had obviously not paid enough attention to all the things he'd done for her. She had been so ungrateful.

"I think I'm going to head out. Thanks so much for having me over for dinner." He told her as he wiped the sink dry, before focusing his attention on his friend lounging on the couch. "See you tomorrow, man." He called out to Jake in greeting.

"Later." Jake mumbled in acknowledgement without taking his eyes off the screen. The least he could have done was to see Embry off.

"The food was amazing, Bells. It's not often that I get to eat a proper meal. You know how bachelors are. It's usually microwave dinners, take-out or bread."

"It was my pleasure." She smiled at him. She felt bad that he had nobody who could look after him. Maybe she could invite him over for dinner more often.

"I'm going over to Leah's place." She informed Jake. "I'm not sure when I'll be back."

He simply grunted out an unintelligible reply without even looking at her.

Bella shrugged and followed Embry out the door, keys in hand just in case Jake decided to lock her out. With the kind of mood he was in, she had no idea what he might be capable of.

"I'll walk you to Leah's," Embry offered as they headed down the road, away from Jake's house, "Make sure you get there safely."

"Thanks, Em. It's really sweet of you, but I'll be okay." She kept her eyes trained on the dirt road in front of her without looking at Embry, as she tried to process what had just happened tonight.

"I insist," He ignored her easy dismissal of him. "What type of friend would I be if I didn't look out for you?"

"I'm sorry about tonight, Em." She apologized. "I wish you didn't have to bear witness to Jake's and my fight." She felt so embarrassed about the way Jake had behaved in front of him, and for the way she had handled the situation. She would have been better off just keeping her mouth shut. Challenging Jake (in this life or the alternate one) had never yielded positive results before, and she should have kept that in mind. God only knew what Embry thought of her after what happened tonight.

"I'm just sorry that I didn't stand up for you." He bumped his shoulder against hers as they walked down the dark road together, like he was trying to lift her spirits.

"You tried, though." She reassured him. "But it's not like Jake gave you a chance to say anything."

She had never seen Jake dismiss his friend like he was his subordinate in some way. She could still somehow deal with the way he treated her, but not Embry. He had done nothing to deserve it.

Neither of them spoke about it any further for the rest of the way, unsure of what to make of Jake's behavior.

When they arrived at Leah's house, Bella knocked on the door, Embry waiting beside her like he was her guard dog.

"You know you can go, right?" She tried to let him off the hook, because, apparently he had some misguided sense of responsibility toward her.

"I'll wait until I know you're safely inside." He insisted, once again. "So stop trying to get rid of me."

They heard a shuffle and muffled voices, before the door flew open to reveal a disheveled-looking Leah. Her t-shirt was inside out and her hair looked wild. Her eyes were bright, cheeks flushed and lips bruised. Behind her, movement caught Bella's eye. It was Quil, back turned toward them, hastily zipping up his fly and buttoning up his cut-off denim's.

"Hey guys." Leah greeted, sounding out of breath. "This is unexpected."

Bella and Embry shared a look of disbelief. Embry obviously knew nothing about Leah and Quil's 'one-time arrangement' to keep him from blabbing, but what shocked Bella, was the fact that Leah had said it was only a one-time thing. But by the looks of it, Quil had obviously not come over for a cup of tea and a chat.

"Am I interrupting?" Bella wondered. "Cause I can go if you guys are busy," Bella bit her lip, trying very hard not to laugh.

"No, not at all." Leah waved it off, still trying to catch her breath. "Come in."

"Hey man." Quil greeted Embry from the door with a wave when he didn't follow Bella in. "You're not coming in?"

"Nah, just made sure Bella got here in one piece," Embry shook his head. He, too, looked like he was trying to hide his amusement. "I was on my way home from their house, and Bella wanted to come and see Leah."

"Aww." Leah teased, giving Bella a knowing look. "How sweet."

Bella widened her eyes at Leah in warning. She didn't want Embry to get suspicious.

"Thanks for walking me here, Em," She greeted him and waved as he turned away, heading down the steps.

"No problem," He said as he reached the lawn, turning around to look at Bella. "If you ever just wanna talk, I'm here." He said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah." She pretended not to be surprised by his kind invitation. "I know." If only she could talk to him - really talk to him - and tell him everything that's been going on.

"Something's up." Leah started in on Bella the moment she closed the door behind her, and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch in the living room. "What happened?"

"Why don't we start with the two of you, first." Bella avoided Leah's question, suddenly more curious about what was going on with Quil and Leah. "What the fuck is going on here?" She motioned between Quil and Leah, trying to hide her grin. "I thought your deal was a one-time thing?"

Quil chuckled at Bella's forwardness, and answered for Leah. "We kinda amended the terms of our deal."

"I knew it!" Bella pointed a finger at Leah. "I told you he wouldn't keep his mouth shut for just one taste of the _amazing_ Leah Clearwater."

"Hey now," Quil defended. "It's nothing like that. I meant what I said about keeping my mouth shut. I'm not blackmailing her."

"Anymore, you mean?" Bella chipped in.

Quil scowled at her comment, but continued, "We just found that having no-strings sex works for us. That's all."

"Oh," Bella was a little taken aback by Quil's answer. She had hoped that there was a little more going on between the two of them, than simple casual sex, but she was relieved, none the less, that he wasn't planning on blabbing. "Well, are you sure I shouldn't go, then? You guys were obviously in the middle of something, and I'd hate to cockblock you guys."

"I told you not to worry, B. We finished just before you knocked on the door." Leah grinned, blushing slightly.

Bella grimaced, but didn't complain. She was used to the fact that they both over-shared on way too many occasions, and she supposed that it wasn't any different in this life.

"So, what happened?" Leah pressed Bella for information, eager to find out why she came over.

"Are you gonna stay for this?" Bella questioned Quil, arching a brow at him.

"Of course I'm gonna stay. I need to be in the loop if I'm going to help keep your secret."

Bella sighed, but relented. "I suppose you're right." It was a weird concept for her to talk about Jake in front of Quil, especially when it involved Jake's indiscretions.

Quil joined Leah on the two-seater, stretching himself out and throwing an arm around the back of the couch. Bella was happy to see the two of them growing closer. The way things had developed between Leah and Quil in her alternate life, hadn't been much different. Leah had resisted Quil's advances for quite a few years, until he somehow wore her down, and she gave him a chance. One date, to be more specific. She had still resisted for a while after that, insisting things stay platonic between them. That was, until Leah got a little tipsy one night at a party at Sam and Emily's house, and went home with Quil. After that, the two of them were inseparable.

"Are you going to make me wait all night?" Leah huffed.

"Jake brought up the baby issue again tonight." Bella began. "In front of Embry."

"Okay," Leah nodded, pursing her lips as if contemplating the appropriate reaction. "Is that it, B? Because he already pulled that stunt on Sunday. So it's nothing new to either you or me. What's really going on?"

"No. There's more." She assured her friend, scowling at the rug beneath her feet like it had done her some great injustice. "He said he wanted me to sell the bookshop. That it didn't add much to our income and that I wouldn't have time for it when the baby came."

"Hold up," Quil interrupted. "Are you pregnant? Because last I heard, you guys had decided to wait a little longer before starting a family."

"No, I'm not pregnant, Quil. That's just the thing." She raked her hand through her hair and sighed in exasperation. "I told Jake that I needed time. I didn't go into detail about it with him, for obvious reasons. But now, the more I resist, the more insistent he's becoming."

"Fuck that!" Leah voiced her opinion, never one to mince words. "He can't make you sell your bookshop."

"And get this," Bella leaned toward her friend, "When I wanted to excuse myself from the table, he said that I had to wait. And I quote 'mind your bloody manners'."

"He did what?" Quil seemed enraged by this. "I almost can't believe what I'm hearing."

"That's just it," Bella said, "I can't remember Jake ever being like this." She looked at both her friends. "Was he like this when we started dating?"

"If he was, you never complained about it to me before. And as far as I know, you always tell me everything." Leah said.

"And he's never treated you like that in front of the pack, either." Quil added. "Maybe it's because he's taking over from Sam soon? It might be an alpha thing, because I know Sam can be quite strict with Emily at times."

"Jesus," Bella scrubbed her hands over her face. "I didn't even consider that. I was so caught up in my own world that I never even thought to ask who the alpha of the pack was. I just assumed Jake had taken over already."

"Don't blame yourself for not thinking about it, B. You've had a lot to figure out these last few days." Leah tried to assuage her.

Bella nodded absently in agreement.

"So, what did my grandfather say?" Quil asked the question that had been on Leah's mind since Bella arrived back from her meeting with old Quil.

She dove in, telling the two of them everything from the legend, to making Embry fall in love with her.

"So how does he expect you to juggle being a good wife to Jake, and still make time to 'woo' Embry?" Leah wanted to know.

"That's exactly what I asked," Bella informed Leah, "But apparently opportunities will present themselves. At least, that's what old Quil said."

"I tell you, I'm sure glad I'm not faced with the task that you are. Making Embry fall in love with you is going to be one helluva challenge. He's got girls traipsing in and out of his house – and bed, for that matter – almost every other night." Quil said, making her feel like the daunting task that lay ahead of her, was going to be impossible to achieve. She really needed encouragement right now, and his negativity was disheartening.

"Well, he fell in love with me once before, didn't he?" She challenged. "So maybe it's possible to make him fall in love with me again."

"But you weren't married to Jake back then, were you?" Quil pointed out.

"Jesus Christ!" Leah scolded him and punched him in the ribs. "You're seriously not helping. You could at least try and encourage her. She needs our help, and you're doing nothing of the sort."

"How can we possibly help her?" He questioned. "I'm not a goddamn fairy godmother, am I?"

"For starters," Leah began, fixing Quil with a withering look, "We can support our friend."

"Thanks, Lee." Bella was grateful that her friend had her back.

"But it's not like we can set up opportunities for them to spend time together, right?" Quil pressed on, ignoring Leah's scorn without batting an eye. "Because Embry isn't stupid. He'll know something is up."

"Maybe you could spread the word to the women who frequent his bed, that he has herpes or chlamydia, or something gross like that." Leah suggested. "Keep Embry from falling into temptation."

"Is it crazy for me to want him to give up those girls on his own?" Bella wondered. "Choose me, because he really wants me, and not because he needs to get laid?"

"Of course it's not. We're just brain storming for ideas, Bells." Quil assured her.

"Well, how about we just let it happen naturally?" Bella suggested.

"Okay, fine." Leah relented. "But if we see that you're running out of time, we'll have to start implementing a plan."

"Yeah, I guess I can agree to that." Bella nodded and rested back against the couch, wondering if she could actually succeed on her own.

"So I've got a question." Quil raised his hand like a school kid.

"Shoot." Leah and Bella answered in unison.

"If Bella fucks Embry, is it considered cheating?"

"Don't say fuck," Bella chided. "You make it sound so crass. Like he means nothing to me, and that it'll just be casual sex."

"Hypothetically speaking, I assume?" Leah questioned, "Because you're already making it sound like you're going to sleep with him."

"Definitely hypothetical." Bella nodded curtly. "I don't even know if we'll become close enough that the opportunity would even arise." Bella grimaced, "And to get back to your question, Quil, I have no idea if it's considered cheating."

"Cause you're married to Jake _and_ Embry," He smirked, and Bella already knew his perverted mind was up to something, before the words left his mouth, "So technically, if you're horny, you can pick any cock you feel like having."

"She's not going to have sex with both of them." Leah corrected Quil, but turned to Bella with an arched brow, "Are you?"

"What?" Bella was taken aback by the idea. "No." She shook her head vehemently," But her shoulders sagged the more she thought about it. If the opportunity presented itself, would she really be able to say no to Embry? She sighed, and chewed her bottom lip as she considered the possibility, "I don't know. Maybe."

"No judgement," Quil chipped in. "But I think I'd sleep with both women, if I were in your position."

"But wouldn't Embry consider it cheating?" Bella wondered, "Because he doesn't know about my alternate universe, does he?"

"No clue." Leah shrugged. "Embry's a good guy. I think it would take a lot for him to sleep with his best friend's wife."

"Maybe I don't need to sleep with him." Bella mused. "Maybe I can get him to fall in love with me without luring him to bed."

"Ha!" Quil barked a laugh. "Nice try, Bells. Embry's not a teenager anymore. He's a man with needs. And I'd say it's pretty obvious if you consider his reputation."

"Once again, not helping." Leah pointed out, looking irritated.

"How is it possible for me to love you so much, but still want to strangle you so badly?" She questioned Quil.

"It's probably my charm and amazing looks." Quil quipped with a toothy grin.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, suppressing her amusement. "But in all seriousness, I really need to think about this. Maybe sleep on it." Bella suggested. "We're jumping the gun, anyway. The only alone time I've spent with Embry was tonight, when he walked me here, and it seems like he's firmly placed me in the friends zone."

"Then you'd better start working on that. Make him see you in a different light." Quil insisted. "Cause that's the only way you'll ever stand a chance."

Bella yawned in a very unladylike manner without even attempting to cover her mouth, and pushed herself up from the couch. The day had been way too long, and stressing about this whole 'Embry ordeal' had worn her out. Besides, she just wanted to get home and into bed, so she could process the conversation that had taken place, and formulate a plan of action. "I'd better get going. It's getting late, guys."

"Quil can drive you home," Leah offered, "He was about to leave before you came by, anyway."

"I was?" Quil looked a little crestfallen.

"Yes," Leah answered definitively. "I gave you what you wanted. So get going. It's not like I was going to let you stay over."

"That's a little harsh, isn't it, Lee?" Bella felt bad for Quil. He was obviously looking for more than just no-strings sex, but Leah wasn't giving in.

"Fine." Leah shot back sarcastically. "Will it make you happy if I invite Quil to stay over? Tell him I love him and that I can't imagine ever being away from him?"

"You love me?" Quil sat up straight, eyes bright.

"For god's sake, Quil." Leah rolled her eyes. "Just take Bella home, will you?"

His face fell at her words, and Bella wished there was something she could do to give Leah a push in the right direction. But for tonight, she'd let Leah have her peace. "Thanks for the advice, Lee." Bella hugged her friend. "And for just being here for me."

 **A/N: So here is where I need your help. Should the opportunity arise, would it be considered cheating if Bella slept with Embry in future chapters? Yes or no? And what did you guys think about the dinner conversation?**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to SassYNoleS and YankeeGirlNJ. You guys are awesome. YankeeGirlNJ is a major part of the story, even though she tries to be modest. She's an amazing partner in crime, and if things continue like this, I might have to make her co-author of Alternative love. Thank you to all who reviewed and gave their opinions. It means a lot to me. I like knowing how you feel about where the story is headed.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 7: Wine impaired judgement**

"Hey," Bella answered Jake's call after wiping her hands on her apron. She had just put the finishing touches on the chicken pot pie, and now it needed to go in the oven. "What's up?" He was probably phoning to let her know that he was on his way home from Seattle. He had left this morning to go help an old buddie with his car. When she asked why this buddy of his couldn't take his car to an auto shop in Seattle, Jake said that he owed his buddy a favour, and that he'd been the only one Aaron allowed to touch his precious car.

"I'm sorry that I'm only letting you know now, but I couldn't finish Aaron's car like I had planned," He explained. "I couldn't get the part that I needed, but luckily it's arriving early tomorrow morning."

"Oh. Well, alright." Bella sighed, feeling a little put out that she had gone to all this trouble of making the pie, when she would be the only one eating it, but she was relieved in a sense that she didn't have to spend time with him tonight. "I understand. Just drive carefully tomorrow."

"Will do, Bells. Love you," He said, waiting for her to say it back.

"Good night, Jake. Enjoy the rest of your evening." She hung up, scared that he might press her for a proper I love you. She was still annoyed with Jake about last night.

When she got back from Leah's last night, he'd been waiting up for her, sitting in the dark like a fucking creep.

 ** _*flashback to the previous night*_**

 _"Back so soon?" Jake spoke up from the living room, making her jump._

 _"What the hell, Jake!" She cried out and searched blindly for the light on the wall._

 _Jake beat her to it, turning on the reading lamp next to the single-seater couch. "Have fun with Leah?" He asked, making it sound like she'd been anywhere but at Leah's, and she resented his tone._

 _"Fun?" She walked closer to him, hands shaking with fury. "Fun!" She was now standing right in front of him. "I went over to Leah to talk to her about what happened tonight. Because I was hoping to get some sort of idea about why you treated me like you did."_

 _"Get any answers?" He leaned forward, eyes twinkling dangerously._

 _"I don't know, Jake. Maybe." She glared back at him with her shoulders squared, trying to appear brave even though he was intimidating the hell out of her. "But I sure as hell would appreciate it if you talked to me about what's been bothering you. You insist on having a baby all of a sudden, and you talk to me like I'm a worthless piece of shit." Her chest was heaving and she was close to tears again, "And worst of all, you asked me to sell my bookshop. IN FRONT OF EMBRY!" She yelled, and pushed against his chest in frustration, which had about the same effect as trying to knock over a brick wall with your bare hands. "We talked about discussing certain things in private just the other day. And yet, you did it again tonight."_

 _He sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands. When he looked back up at her again, the intimidating facade had fallen away to reveal a despondent-looking Jacob._

 _"I think it's best if I pack my bags and go live with my dad for a while." She declared, watching his eyes widen for a moment, before he reined in his emotions. "I'm not going to subject myself to your temper or high-handed ways anymore. It's fucking demeaning."_

 _"I know, Bells. And I'm so sorry." He got up and tried to pull her into his arms to comfort her, but she backed away._

 _"Don't Jake. Please don't touch me right now."_

 _"I mean it when I say I'm sorry. I just don't know what's been going on with me lately. Ever since I started training with Sam to take over as alpha, I've been feeling irritated and on edge, like I'm about to snap at any second." He explained. "And I've got this urge to dominate. To control everyone and everything."_

 _"I'm sorry you're struggling, Jake. I really am." She admitted in earnest. Her heart ached for her best friend, but as her husband, he really needed to do better, "But if you think I'm going to excuse this behavior of yours just because you're becoming the alpha, you've got another thing coming. I don't care if you need to be in control. I'm not going to lie down and accept this treatment, no matter how compelled you feel to put me in my place. Until you sort your shit out and learn how to control this new side of yourself, I'll be staying in the guest bedroom."_

 _"Are you telling me that you want a trial separation?" He frowned._

 _"I haven't thought about it like that, but now that you mention it, yeah. It might be exactly what we need." It would give her the space that she needed so desperately right now._

 _"But what about the sex?" He worried._

 _"Really? Sex is all that you can think of right now? After everything we just talked about." How did he have such a single-tracked mind? She just told him she considered leaving, and all he worried about was not getting any._

 _"No," He backpedalled. "I just want to know what the ground rules are."_

 _"Let me make it really easy for you, then." She planted her hands on her hips. "Consider me a female friend that's temporarily staying at your house. That's it. Nothing more and nothing less."_

 _"Okay. I can work with that, as long as you're not leaving me." He tried to look happy about it._

 _"I haven't made up my mind, yet." She warned him. "But for now, instead of worrying about me leaving you, worry about how you're going to get it together and be the man that I know is still inside of you somewhere."_

 _ ***end of flashback***_

Bella grabbed her glass of wine and took a big gulp. She might as well get a little drunk tonight. Jake wouldn't be here, and she had only herself to keep company. She popped the pot pie into the oven and removed her apron, leaning back against the counter and enjoying more of her wine, when a knock on the door made her look up. Who on earth would come by right now?

Embry stood on the porch when she opened the door, looking handsome as all hell in jeans and a casual blue and navy checkered button-up shirt. "Hi," He smiled that dimpled smile of his, making her weak at the knees. She felt a little under-dressed in his presence. She had changed out her work clothes for a pair of shorts and a tank top, with her bikini underneath. She had been planning to take a dip before dinner to cool down, because the heat had been something else today.

"Embry, hey," Bella was surprised to see him here. "You looking for Jake?"

"Yeah, actually." He nodded, frowning, "Didn't he tell you he invited me over?"

"No," She shuffled her brain, trying to think if Jake had told her he invited Embry for dinner. Their phone conversation had been pretty short, and she couldn't recall him mentioning anything. "He didn't. And he's not back yet. He went to Seattle to fix Aaron's car, but he said the part he needs is only arriving tomorrow morning."

"Oh," Embry looked down at his feet, sticking his hands in his pocket. Bella felt bad for him. How could Jake invite him over, and then just forget to cancel with him? "Well, I guess it must have slipped his mind."

"Yeah," Bella stepped aside, "But you're more than welcome to join me. I have chicken pot pie in the oven, and nobody to eat it with. Jake literally called five minutes ago to let me know that he's not going to make it."

"Oh, no, it's fine Bells," Embry declined with a shake of his head, "I don't want to impose." He was always so well-mannered.

"Not at all," Bella insisted. "You'd be doing me a huge favor. I can't possibly eat all this food by myself, and it would just go to waste." She failed to mention that she wanted to spend some time with him - it was something he didn't have to know.

"You sure?" Embry's eyes lit up. The mention of food always had an amazing effect on any member of the pack.

"Positive." She assured him, feeling victorious. She was psyched to have him here with her, without Jake ruining it for them.

He followed her to the kitchen, sniffing appreciatively. "Smells good. I'm actually glad you invited me. I'm starving and I'm a total sucker for your cooking. Everyone goes crazy for Emily's food, but I think it's just because they haven't had a real opportunity to taste yours."

That was something she knew to be true. Embry absolutely loved her cooking, and when he'd tasted her food for the first time, he said he'd never so much as look at another woman if she promised to keep cooking for him.

"You want a beer?" She offered and motioned for him to sit.

"Sure, thanks." He accepted, but didn't sit down. "Anything I can help with?"

"Nah, I'm just going to throw together a salad while we wait for the pot pie to finish, and then I'm done."

"How 'bout you let me do that, and you can keep me company?" He offered.

"If you're sure?" She said, "It's not good manners to let a guest prepare food."

"Technically, I guess." He shrugged, "But I want to contribute."

Bella hopped up onto the counter, sipping on her wine as Embry started chopping up the ingredients for the salad. "You're really skilled with a knife." Bella complimented him. "It's a little intimidating." How had she not noticed this before?

Embry chuckled and glanced up at her, never slowing his task. "It's a wolf thing." She was sure she'd never seen him look sexier before today (except for their wedding day), and she tried not to consciously stare at the way the sleeves on his button-up strained against his biceps as he worked.

"Is it ridiculous for me to feel a little jealous?" She asked, "Because I'd kill for your knife skills."

"No pun intended, I hope?" He grinned.

"No," She laughed at his keen wit. She had forgotten how much she missed it. "But I could take a stab at it, if you like?"

"Cut it out, won't you?" He shot back, grinning and pushed the chopping board away as he finished the salad.

"Look at you. Done already." She was impressed.

"I guess I'm just a cut above the rest, aren't I?" He continued to joke.

"Stop, please." She laughed, holding up her hands in surrender. "Or you'll have me in stitches."

"How am I supposed to stop when you keep going?" He accused playfully.

"I just couldn't resist." She leaned back and continued to watch him. It was so easy to be around him. Nothing about their joking or conversation felt forced.

"How was work?" He asked, officially steering the conversation into another direction.

"Very busy. I'd sorta lost track with school holidays, you know?" She explained.

"I can imagine. But I suppose it's good for business."

"Yeah, definitely. I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but I'm considering getting another person to help out for the next two months. I'm not sure that Kim and Leah will be able to cope on their own over weekends. And if I'm not able to come in on a Saturday, it might be a good thing to have someone on the floor to assist the customers while one of the girls are working the cash register."

"Did you talk to them about it?" He suggested. "They'd know best if they can cope with a busy store."

"Mm mm." Bella nodded out her answer as she swallowed a mouthful of wine. "They said it's fine, but I'm not quite convinced."

"Well, maybe keep an eye on things this coming Saturday and see how they'd cope without you."

"That's actually not such a bad idea." Bella considered his suggestion.

"How's that wine treating you?" Embry asked as he opened her fridge and searched for unknown ingredients. "Need me to refill your glass?"

Bella grinned. She wasn't feeling tipsy yet, just a little relaxed. "It's treating me really well." She said, and handed her glass over to him. "But enough about me. How was your day?" She reached into the cupboard behind her for a salad bowl, and placed it at his workspace.

"Oh, you know. The usual." He filled her glass for her and handed it back without delay. "It's a lot easier with Seth there. It's not just Paul, Jake and me anymore. It used to be so busy that we had our customers waiting way too long for their cars. And then little old Seth asked Jake and me for a job, and things have been going really well so far." He used the knife to scrape the salad into a bowl.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked as he turned and grabbed a mug and a spoon from the dish drainer, and started mixing ingredients together.

"Making a salad dressing." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

" _Really?"_ Bella found herself intrigued by this. "The bachelor makes his own salad dressing. Please do tell how you learned to do that."

"From my mom, actually." He shrugged. "It's not that I don't know how to cook or take care of myself, but sometimes it's kinda depressing to cook for one. So, it's easier to get take-out or make a sandwich."

"You have plenty of female visitors, from what I hear." Bella said, feeling sick just thinking about it again, "So why don't you cook for them?"

"No, it's not like that." He vehemently assured her. "The girls know it's strictly sex. I don't cook for them, ever."

"Why?" He just said how depressing it was to cook for one. If he had them over for sex, why didn't he woo them even more with his cooking skills. It would assure a comeback.

"Because then they start getting ideas. Suddenly the girl wants to meet my parents, and starts picturing her wedding dress and how our children will look," He grimaced, "And that's just trouble. I don't want to have to explain to them that I'm not looking for something serious." Finished with the dressing, he turned away from her and put all the ingredients back where he got them from. "And contrary to belief, I'm not doing this to hurt girls."

Bella wanted to know more. For some twisted reason, she wanted to find out why he didn't want a relationship, but Embry cut her off by handing her a spoonful of the dressing to taste.

"Mm," She licked the spoon clean, marvelling at his culinary abilities. "So good." She licked her lips to remove the excess sauce, and caught Embry looking at her mouth. His eyes darkened and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, sending a thrill through Bella. She knew that look all too well. That look right there, was arousal.

He looked away quickly and cleared his throat, "So how's that pot pie coming along?"

Bella jumped down from the counter and checked the oven timer. "Another five minutes." She said, trying her damnedest to forget the look he just had in his eyes, and what had usually followed that look. "I think I'll set the table."

"How 'bout we eat outside? It's such a great night." He suggested. "There's a small table out on the deck, isn't there?"

"Yeah. That's perfect, actually."

Embry took the plates and cutlery from Bella, and went off to set the small table. When he returned, Bella was just taking the pie out of the oven.

"Here," He grabbed two dish towels and took the pie from her. She loved how helpful he was. She missed this. _Really_ missed it. And what really got to her, was how easy things were between them tonight. Like they've done this a thousand times. They interacted more than she and Jake did. They actually had a conversation, like a married couple was supposed to. "Bring your wine." He called over his shoulder as he exited through the sliding door.

"You want another beer?"

"Sure." Came his voice from outside.

"So," Bella asked as they sat down to eat, "I still have some more questions for you."

"Shoot." He cut into his pie and took a big bite.

"Why don't you want to be in a relationship? Why just the sex?"

Embry chewed thoughtfully and chased the food with some beer, before answering her. "Everyone goes on and on about finding that one person that makes you complete," He grimaced as he said the word, "Makes you fall head over heels in love. And I've never found that. I've been in a relationship or two before, but it never lasted, because I didn't fall in love. So, instead, I decided sex was easier. Not broken hearts and no failed expectations. If I find that one person that makes me 'c _omplete'_ , then fine. But I'm not actively looking."

"So, do you just go out and find a willing girl for the night? Tell her that it's just a one-time thing?" Bella hated this, but she needed to know. "How does it work? And do you sleep with a girl more than once?"

"I used to tell them. But now, most of them know that I'm not looking for a relationship. And yeah, I do have regular girls; ones that want what I want. And it makes things a whole lot easier. No awkward pick-up lines and flirting. We leave together, we fuck, and that's it. They never spend the night."

"Well, what about that girl who left your place the morning I came by? She spent the night." Bella was hit by an instant surge of jealousy at the thought that he might like her more than the others."

"Actually, we met up at like four that morning at the bar in Forks, and by the time we were done and you came by, she was just on her way out."

"Oh," Why did she feel so relieved? "But aren't you scared that you'll catch some kind of STD?"

Embry laughed hard at this. "No, Bella. The chances for a wolf to pick up a disease like herpes or syphilis or any of those kinds of diseases, are very slim. And I always use a condom."

"Well, I bet the Trojan company thanks you for your continued support. I'm pretty sure they've made millions thanks to you." Bella commented, trying her best not to sound bitter.

Embry choked on his food, and looked up at her with wide, surprised eyes, taking another sip of beer. He cleared his throat before speaking. "How do you know I use Trojan condoms?"

Oh shit. She wasn't supposed to know, was she? She needed to think of something quickly, to talk herself out of this, before she messed things up. "I just assumed all of the pack use Trojan condoms? I'm guessing that well-endowed male appendages are a wolf thing."

Embry barked a laugh, but seemed to accept her explanation. "Guess so."

After dinner, the two of them sat back on the pool chairs, enjoying the quiet night. It was peaceful, and the silence between them didn't feel as awkward as she thought it would.

"There is something that's been bothering me since last night." Embry broke the silence. "Well, not bothering, per se, but more like nagging at me, I guess."

"Yeah?" Bella felt a little apprehensive. She hoped he didn't want to talk about what happened between Jake and her.

"Leah and Quil." He stated, and Bella snorted into her wine. Oh god, she should have guessed. She was so surprised that he hadn't brought it up sooner. "Were they-"

"Having sex?" Bella finished his sentence for him. "Yup."

"Oh, sweet Jesus. You can't be serious?" He grimaced. She bit her lip, trying hard not to laugh at his reaction. It was quite comical to see him look so uncomfortable.

"Oh, I am. Believe me."

"When did that happen?" Embry made a face. "I didn't even know they were dating until last night."

"They're not dating." Bella explained.

"So they're just fucking, then?" Embry questioned, looking pained just saying the words out loud.

"Apparently," Bella nodded. "At least, that's what Leah said, but to be honest, I'm getting the idea that she might like him more than she cares to admit."

"I just never pictured her going for him. Nothing against Quil. He's a great friend, but Leah never seemed to tolerate him much."

"It's the sex." Bella informed him, trying to remain serious.

"What about it?" Embry looked like he sincerely regretted asking the question.

"Leah said Quil is _really_ good in bed. And I know for a fact that Leah has very high standards. So, I guess it must be true if she admitted it so openly to me."

Embry pretended to gag. "I didn't need to know that." He massaged his temples. "I just had a very nasty mental picture of the two of them together. I'm scarred for life, now."

"Oh hush," Bella playfully slapped his arm. "Don't be such a sissy about it. It's not like I mentioned your parents having sex."

"Christ, Bella." Embry groaned. "Enough, or you'll be cleaning chicken pot pie from the deck tonight."

"Okay," Bella laughed a full-bellied laugh. "I'll stop. And, because I'm such a good friend, I'll even let you choose the next topic."

"Yeah?" Embry turned to her with an excited smile, making a full recovery from the discussion they'd just had. "You know, I'm really feeling like taking a swim. You gonna join me?"

"Nah," She shook her head. "I'd rather stay here and watch you freeze your ass off. The water is going to be too cold this time of night."

"Like hell you are," He smirked and scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Hey!" She squealed. "What are you doing?"

"This," He said and flung her into the pool, clothes and all.

At first, the cold water threatened to knock the breath right out of her, but the longer she stayed under, the more she realized that the water actually felt good, cooling down her heated body, and when she emerged, Embry was already in the pool, looking smug for getting her wet.

"I could have had my cell phone in my pocket, you know." She complained.

"Nope. I saw it in the kitchen." He reminded her. "Besides, even if I didn't know the exact location of your phone, I'd do it all over again. Even if I did have to buy you a new one afterward."

"Well you could at least have respected my wishes." She splashed him with water. "What made you think I wanted to take a swim? I said no, didn't I? I thought you wolves had excellent hearing?"

"Bella, come on," He rolled his eyes. "You're wearing a bikini under your clothes. You didn't put it on just for the fun of it. Admit it. You were planning on taking a swim at some point."

They had subconsciously drifted even closer to each other, and she was now face to face with Embry and his devious little smirk. "You just have all the answers, don't you?" She teased.

Embry didn't answer. His eyes were dark again, just like before, when they'd been in the kitchen, and were trained solely on her lips.

The only sound Bella could hear, except for the gentle sloshing of water against the sides of the pool, were her own heartbeat and rapid breathing as they stared at each other. Seconds, maybe even minutes passed as they remained like that, never breaking eye contact. She refrained from pressing her nose against his neck and just taking a big whiff - his smell was intoxicating, even more so than the wine she'd had. She wanted to kiss him badly, and for some reason, it looked like he wanted to kiss her too. So, she did the only thing she could think of. She leaned in and kissed him. His lips were hot and soft, moulding against her own. Her heart raced and a wildfire need for him, burned in her belly. His arms slowly came up to her shoulders, hands gripping her tightly, and for a moment, she was sure he was going to kiss her back. But then he pushed her away.

His brown eyes were wide with shock as he looked back at her. It took a moment for him to form the words that his mind was obviously processing. "I gotta go. Thank you for dinner, Bella," He said without looking at her, and turned away, fleeing from the pool.

She hurriedly got out of the pool, splashing water on the deck as she rushed after him. She wanted a chance to say sorry before he left, but when she entered the house, she heard the front door slam shut. What the fuck had she just done? Her mind was obviously impaired by the wine, and even though she'd been sure that he wanted to kiss her too – he had _that_ look in his eyes – she'd obviously misread the situation. They had really been making progress tonight. They were getting to know each other; getting comfortable. And she had most likely just screwed up any chance she'd had with him.

She was left standing shivering in the middle of the living room, water pooling at her feet, and she was pretty sure she had never felt as desolate as she just did.

 **A/N: I hurried to get this story out. Hope you like it. It's a little shorter than the previous one.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been a while. Sorry, but I got a little distracted by real life. YankeeGirlNJ and SassYNoleS - you guys are awesome! I don't think the story would have been the same without you. Please note that all mistakes are my own, and that I'm super tired right now. So please forgive any errors.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 8 - Hesitant:**

 **BPOV**

Bella arrived at Leah's place for game night by herself. Jake had called her when he left from Seattle shortly before eleven this morning, and he was still finishing up at work, but assured her he would be joining them later. Not that she really cared. She was doing her best to keep her distance, even though he kept pressuring her to forgive him. She was too afraid that he'd just continue with his shit the moment she forgave him. And it suited her more than fine, because she could avoid having sex with him right now (completely, if she had a say in it), and focus more on Embry. If there was still a chance for the two of them after the dumb move she had pulled last night. Thinking back on the kiss, she could have kicked herself for it. She should have let him come to her, instead of scaring him away with her bold move.

Bella headed to the kitchen, ready to offer Leah help where she still needed it, but shut her mouth the moment she saw Quil and her together. They looked like they were having a private moment. He was standing close to her, with a pleading look on his face, while Leah looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Please?" Quil implored her, grabbing her hand. "Can we talk about it some more, later?"

"Yeah, okay," Leah sighed and looked down at her feet, nodding.

"Really?" Apparently, Leah's answer had taken him by surprise. Perhaps he had expected another no from her.

"One date, Ateara," Leah played it cool. "That's all I'm agreeing to."

Quil captured Leah's chin between his thumb and forefinger, and tenderly tipped it up toward his face, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand as he looked into her eyes. He lowered his lips slowly to hers, like he was giving her a chance to protest, and when she didn't, he planted the briefest, feather light kiss on her lips. It was such a private moment, that Bella almost felt compelled to look away.

"Hey, Bells." Quil greeted her with his usual happy smile as he walked out of the kitchen and right past her, heading toward the living room.

"Hi," She replied, never tearing her eyes away from Leah, who wore a blush like no other she'd worn before. She tried to hide her grin from Bella.

Bella hurried toward Leah, eager to know what she had just witnessed. "What was that?" Bella whispered to her over the music that had started playing from the stereo in Leah's living room.

"Nothing," She waved it away.

"It didn't _look_ like nothing," Bella challenged. "It looked like he just kissed you."

"Fine," Leah relented with a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Quil told me that he's in love with me, and that he wants me to go on a date with him." She spoke the words in a rush, like it would lessen the effect they'd have on Bella, if she did.

"That's great, Lee." Bella encouraged, "I'm totally rooting for the two of you to get together."

"You're just biased, because we were married in 'your universe'," Leah pointed out. _"Or so you say."_

"That's part of it, yeah." Bella admitted with a massive grin, "But only because I know how good you two were together. How happy you were."

She nodded and bit her lip, "I'm just a little scared, that's all."

"For what possible reason could you be scared?" Bella wondered. Leah was hiding something big, if she just admitted to being scared. Nothing scared the _fearless_ Leah Clearwater.

"There's a good chance that I might be falling for him," Leah grimaced, as if it pained her to admit it out loud, "And I'm really scared that he might end up breaking my heart."

"We are talking about Quil, right?" Bella checked. "Because the Quil I know, would never intentionally hurt someone. Especially not you. The poor guy is head over heels for you, and I think he'd do anything to make you happy. Just give him a chance, won't you?"

"I am," She insisted with an eye roll.

"And you know that I'd hunt him down and cut off his balls if he ever tried to hurt you?" Bella tried but failed to keep a straight face as she said the words.

"Yeah," Leah chuckled. "I know. We've always had each other's backs."

"But try not to hurt him either, will you?" Bella implored. "I think he may be just as scared as you. And I've got a real soft spot for that future-husband of yours."

Leah scoffed and flipped Bella off. "Don't push it."

* * *

 **EPOV**

Embry walked into Leah's house bare chested and sweaty, having come straight over after patrols, so he didn't miss too much of the game night. He had been on edge for most of today, the kiss from last night the only thing he could think about. He had been glad that he was the only one on patrol, because it gave him more time to blow off some steam, and think about what happened between Bella and himself, without the possibility of someone seeing his thoughts.

When Bella kissed him, she had taken him completely by surprise. Other than the fight she'd had with Jake the other night, she'd always seemed happily married. So why would she kiss him?

If Embry had to admit it to himself (which he didn't want to do, because it would just make things way too complicated), he still had feelings for Bella. Feelings that came bubbling up from the dark recesses of his heart, where he had hidden them long ago. That one kiss had made him remember a time he thought he wanted her. But he had given Bella up when he saw that the friendship between her and Jake was starting to develop into something more.

He hadn't fallen in love with Bella like Jake had, but he was sure that, given the chance, he surely would have. She may have been 'the one' for him. But that ship had sailed long ago, and he had tried and failed since, to find someone else who could capture his heart. And after a while, he simply gave up on trying to find the perfect girl, opting instead to lead a bachelor's life. It wasn't all that bad. When he needed a release, there had always been a girl willing to satisfy his needs. And soon, Bella was simply his best friend's girl, again.

What troubled him even more, though, was the vivid dream he'd had of the two of them last night. He had been so happy in that dream. He had dreamed of his life with Bella. They were married and Bella was pregnant. She either didn't know yet, or had still been planning on telling him in her own, special way. He could hear the baby's heartbeat, but wanted to keep his mouth shut so Bella could have her 'moment' to surprise him with the news.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Leah and the others greeted him.

Bella was obviously trying to avoid looking him in the eye, because she kept her head down, throwing a general hello in his direction, and pretended to busy herself with wiping down the kitchen table. She looked really pretty tonight, wearing a sleeveless yellow tunic with a pair of white skinny jeans and wedges that gave her a little more height. He couldn't keep his eyes off her.

"Rough day?" Leah asked when she caught him staring.

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh, yeah. Patrols after work. You know how it goes."

"So, are you gonna stand here all day, gawking? Or are you going to attempt to put on a shirt at some point tonight?" Leah teased, but the undercurrent of her tone suggested that she might know what was going on in his mind, and it was fucking unsettling. No one could know what he was feeling.

"Mind if I use your shower real quick?" He had brought along a backpack with a pair of clean clothes, so he could look decent tonight.

"Go right ahead," She said. "Bella will give you a towel. Won't you, B?" She directed her attention toward Bella, who was trying really hard to make herself scarce in his presence. "I just wanna finish up the dip, so we can start the games." She gave Bella a devious look, and Embry wondered just what was going on in Leah's head. She was up to something. Not that he minded. He was eager to get an opportunity to talk to Bella alone, since he'd fled like a fucking coward last night, but he just couldn't stay any longer and risk Bella noticing how shamelessly turned on he had been. He needed to put an end to whatever Bella was trying to accomplish, because he didn't want to go around kissing his best friend's wife. It was a dangerous game to play. These strange feelings that he was feeling, had the potential of turning into love, and that was something that could never work out for them.

"No problem," He saw Bella rolling her eyes at her friend as she walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. He followed behind her as she headed toward the linen cupboard to dig out a towel for him.

Bella pulled out a fluffy brown towel and thrust it into his hand, still avoiding eye contact as best she could, but she looked up when their hands touched briefly during the exchange.

"Thanks," He gave her an awkward smile as they stood staring at each other, neither one knowing what to say. Maybe now was the time to tell her what was on his mind, but where did he begin?

"Listen Em," She spoke up before he could, and he was grateful that she was the one to break the ice. A blush crept slowly up her neck and painted her cheeks a pretty pink color. "I'm sorry about what happened last night. I don't know what got into me." She apologized, and he was glad the music was turned up in Leah's living room, masking the conversation they were having.

"You should be sorry," He shot back at her with a scowl. He was suddenly very angry with her; he had been completely content with his bachelors life up until last night, and the last thing he wanted was to have her on his mind the entire time. "Because all you managed to do, was fuck with my head. Ever since that kiss, all I can think about was how I regret not kissing you back."

 _Fuck!_ Had he just said that last part out loud? Where was his brain-to-mouth filter when he needed it?

 _"What?"_ Bella squeaked, obviously not expecting this answer, either.

"It's so fucked-up. You know that, right?" He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. "Jake's my best friend. And I would never do anything to hurt him, but I haven't had one moment's peace since that kiss." His stomach was knotted up and his heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't understand why he was feeling the way he did. He wanted nothing more than to kiss those plump, rosy lips right now, and it scared the hell out of him.

He grabbed her chin and stroked the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, forcing her to look him in the eye. Those doe eyes of hers were wide, and filled with doubt, "I think it would be best if we avoided each other, Bella. Before we both do something we might regret even more."

Her expression hardened in an instant, and she retreated. "Just throw the towel in the laundry basket once you're done," She answered in a flat tone that made his stomach drop. Why did he get the idea that he had just hurt her somehow?

Bella turned around to walk away from him, but he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward him. What was he doing? What did he want to achieve by making her stay?

"Are you angry with me?" He questioned.

"Of course not," Bella huffed, looking away again. She was clearly lying to him and trying to hide it. Perhaps she knew what a bad liar she was.

"You are, aren't you?" He frowned. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But I'm just trying my best to avoid causing trouble."

"Don't worry about it, Em." She assured him, turning away again. "It's fine."

And this time he let her leave.

* * *

 **EPOV**

"So, I just want to make sure that everyone knows how 30 seconds works?" Leah asked when Embry arrived back from his shower.

Most of them, it seemed, didn't have a clue. And Leah eagerly dived in to explain. "So basically, the object of the game is to reach the finish square first. Whichever team ends there first, wins the game. Before you start your turn, you have to roll the dice. The number on the dice is subtracted from the amount of names you identified correctly, and the amount left over is the number of squares you get to advance your token. You may not say the actual name on the card that you have to describe, say 'rhymes-with' or 'sounds-like', refer to letters of the alphabet, and you may not point to anything or use translations. But your teammates, however, may use letters of the alphabet. You will also see that your card has a blue and a yellow side, so whichever color square your token is on, is the side you are supposed to describe to your teammates. And please, guys, don't look at the names on the card before the timer is turned," Leah narrowed her eyes at the guys. "You have thirty seconds to explain whatever is on that card, and when the time keeper says 'time', you are not allowed to continue. No one but your teammates are allowed to answer the questions. And if someone from another team does call out the answer, I'll award you that point. So people, if it's not your team, shut the hell up, or you'll be earning _them_ points."

Leah divided everyone into teams. Apparently, Jake had arrived shortly before Embry's shower, and was sorted into a team with Bella and himself. What he found weird though, was that Bella was sitting far away from Jake, and they weren't touching or talking at all, like they usually did.

Paul, Rachel and Seth were paired together, and Emily was placed in Jared and Kim's team, since Sam was out on patrol. Leah paired herself up with Quil (how sweet), Brady and Colin.

"Hey, that's not fair." Paul whined. "You have more people in your team, so automatically you're gonna win."

"Seriously?" Leah rolled her eyes. "Do you not see who exactly my teammates are? I took the punch for this, because they'll probably make a joke out of this game anyway."

"Dude, she's got a point." Jared chuckled as he tried to appease Paul, agreeing with Leah.

"Fine," Paul relented, "But if they win, I'm calling a rematch."

"So, B," Leah ignored Paul. "I'm thinking you can start the game off, since you know how to play."

"Okay," She scooted closer toward the table and rolled the dice. It landed on 'one'. "Ready guys?" Bella asked Jake and him, and pulled out a card. She was starting on the blue side. They all were, since the 'start square' was blue. "Start the time, Lee."

Leah flipped over the timer, and Bella didn't waste any time.

"The color of a smurf," She started off.

"Blue!" Jake shouted out, and when Bella nodded in agreement, he looked pretty chuffed with himself.

"That thing you use to chat on line, face to face. You can make video calls," She described the next word.

"Facebook!" Jake shouted out once again, like he was trying to prove something.

Bella shook her head no, and looked to Embry for an answer.

"Skype?" Embry wondered.

"Yes!" Bella looked pleased, and continued, "This guy is a young American former competitive swimmer and Olympic Medalist."

Jake didn't answer, and Embry had the name on the tip of his tongue, but was just not getting it.

"Move on to the next question for now," He suggested, so they didn't waist any time.

"Jake, you should know this one," Bella focused on him, "My favorite perfume."

"How would _I_ know?" Jake harrumphed, folding his arms. He could be such an idiot at times.

"Chanel?" Embry wasn't sure how he knew this, but he just did, and Bella looked pleasantly surprised that he got the answer right. "Oh, and the American swimmer is Michael Phelps? Right?"

"Yes!" Bella grinned, and moved on to the last question, "A former female British prime minister."

"Uh, Margret Thatcher?" He guessed.

"Time," Leah called out, and Bella threw her card down on the table, doing a little happy dance that made him laugh despite himself. She high-fived him and patted Jake on the back as a consolation. "Well done, guys," She said, winking at Embry.

Jake looked mighty displeased with the fact he only got one question right, and mumbled something about the cards being way too hard. Embry and Bella both opted just to ignore him.

Next up was Seth, Rachel and Paul, who also blazed through their round, only missing one question. They got Lion, Boomerang, History, Up (like the movie), and The Hobbit, the latter being the one they missed, since Seth had no idea how to explain it to his teammates.

Emily had a tough round, poor woman. She got a really shitty card to explain, and her team scored only two. They got Shark right, as well as Cleopatra, but failed with Thyme, Death note and University of Chicago. Embry really couldn't blame her for struggling.

Quil attempted the next round, and as expected, it was a total riot. He got Uranus (as luck would have it, of course), which he made a crass joke about, but had everyone laughing, at least. His teammates got the answer right though, as well as Johnnie Walker, China and Giraffe (Everyone burst out laughing when Quil used Melman from Madagascar as an example, to explain giraffe.) Their time ran out before he could attempt to explain Frankenstein, though, but Leah seemed pleased that they'd managed to score four points.

Embry took the next round, and Jake seemed to have decided that he was not really going to participate anymore. So, Bella and him it was.

"This guy is the captain of the Star Wars spaceship," Embry explained. He had no idea if Bella was a Star Wars fan, but it seemed that she was a little bit of a closet dork, when she gave the correct answer.

"Han Solo," Bella said with confidence.

"Yes," He continued, trying to hide his ammusement. "The singer who often dyes her hair in pink or purple, and sings 'Roar'," Quil laughed hard at Embry's explanation, but Bella was on it, ignoring the jokes.

"Katy Perry."

"The currency down under."

"Uhm," She took a second to think, "Australian Dollar?"

"Yes, good," He shook his hair out of his face and bit his lip as he thought about the next name, "A former president who allegedly had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky."

"Bill Clinton," Bella was on fire and he was glad to have her as his teammate. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as their gazes locked, and his stomach did a flip-flop thanks to the way she was looking at him. It took all of his willpower to tear his eyes away from her and continue the game.

"The big snake in Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets."

"Ooh!" Bella clapped her hands. "A basalisk."

"We did it!" Embry cheered and gave Bella a massive smile. He turned around to flip Quil off for making fun of him for the Katy Perry question. "Eat shit, Quil."

He turned back to Bella, pulling her in for a celebratory hug, before he could register what he was doing. She hugged him back, though, and for a moment, he lost himself in her intoxicating smell, but pulled back quickly to avoid arousing any suspicions. If anyone paid enough attention to them, they would probably know that something was up.

"Get a fucking room, why don't you." Jake commented, looking very annoyed. And there it was. Jake had noticed something. Or was he just feeling sorry for himself?

"Oh come on man. Don't be like that," Paul intervened. "You are spoiling this for everyone."

Jake completely fucked up their next round, doing his utmost best to explain the card as poorly as he could. Which put them through their paces for the next few rounds to get themselves back on track. Near the end, though, they had made up for it, and were neck and neck with Seth, Paul and Rachel.

The final round had the others cheering and taking bets on who would win. Unfortunately, though, they lost, which Jake seemed really happy about. But somehow, the loss felt more like a victory to Embry, because he had such a great time with Bella as his teammate, tonight. They seemed to understand each other so much better that Jake and Bella understood each other. And maybe that was why Jake was all pissy about this. He was feeling insecure. Embry couldn't blame him. If he and his wife had made such a crappy team, he would have been annoyed, too. And he wondered about last night's kiss, and the dream, and the feelings he'd had for Bella so long ago. Would they have been a better match if he'd been less selfless back then, and taken what he'd wanted?

* * *

 **BPOV**

What a round that had been. Embry and she had blazed through the game, making one hell of a team, even with Jake trying to sabotage them. And despite losing, she had to admit that she'd had tons of fun. Embry was smart and witty, and those were just a few of the things she loved about him. She was secretly glad that the two of them had done so well. Maybe it would help open Embry's eyes up to the possibility that they fit together so much better. Perhaps she _could_ still make him fall in love with her.

 ** _*flashback*_**

Embry and Bella were walking hand in hand around the grounds at the fair, but he seemed a little off tonight, looking so lost in thought. She was worried that maybe he was getting bored with her. They've been together for a little over four years now, and maybe now that she'd finally graduated, he was coming face to face with the fact that things were about to start moving in a different direction. Things were getting serious now. Maybe he thought that everyone, including her, now had certain expectations that needed to be met, and felt pressured into taking the next step, which was asking her to move in with him. She'd been hoping and praying that it would happen after graduation day, but he hadn't mentioned anything yet, and she wasn't going to push him for something he didn't feel comfortable with.

"You okay?" She shoulder-bumped Embry to get his attention.

He looked up at her, and it was clear to her that he'd been lost in his own little world. "Yeah, why?" He smiled, but it looked strained. Something was definitely up.

"You know if something is bothering you, you could tell me, right?" She offered to lend her ear.

"What makes you think something is wrong?" He frowned,and squeezed her hand.

"You seem a little distant tonight," She pointed out to him, trying her best not to sound accusing.

"It's just been a busy week. Work stuff, you know?" He tried to reassure her, but she wasn't buying it. There was something else on his mind. Hopefully not _someone else._

"Oh," She refrained from pressing him for more, and kept quiet as they continued to walk.

"You wanna go on the Ferris wheel?" He asked as they neared the short line of people (which included most of their friends) waiting for the ride, looking excited for the first time tonight.

"Sure," She shrugged, trying to play a little of the cold shoulder. Maybe if he thought she was not as invested in the relationship as she should be, it would make it easier for him to break up with her. The thought of him leaving her made her heart ache, but there was no way she was going to let him stay with her if he didn't want her anymore.

The line moved forward as each person or couple took a seat in their own little booth, and once they were all seated, the Ferris wheel started moving.

"Hey Jake?" Embry called to the booth in front of him once they were up in the air. "Do you have it?" Embry was being cryptic, and she had no idea why.

Jake turned around with that sunny grin of his and lobbed something up toward Embry. With lightning reflexes, he caught whatever Jake had thrown at him. He turned toward her and took a deep breath. "So, I was thinking that we should get married," He smiled that beautiful, dimpled smile of his, taking Bella completely by surprise. She looked behind her at Leah, just to verify that she wasn't dreaming. Leah's smile and casual wink was all she needed for confirmation that this was all real.

When she turned back to Embry, he was holding up a ring box with a beautiful ring. "I'm so in love with you, Bella. You're my little doe-eyed dork and you're it for me. I want to spend the rest of my life watching Star Wars with you, and I want to laugh and joke with you every day. I want to keep being a team with you in everything we do, and I want to keep teasing you mercilessly for being a closet cosplay enthusiast." He grimaced. "Sorry for saying that last part out loud. Guess it's not a secret anymore."

Bella shook her head at him and laughed, ignoring the snickers from her friends.

"And after you say yes (oh the cocky bastard and his assumptions), I'm gonna take you back to my place and make love to you until the sun comes up. Then, we're going to go tell your Daddy that you're moving in with me, and that we're getting married.

"Ha!" Bella barked a laugh. "Good luck with that one. Do you think my father is going to go easy on you? Especially since you asked me - well, told is more like it - to marry you, before you even asked for his blessing?"

"My beautiful Bells," He grinned, "I already have your Daddy's permission."

"What?" She was so surprised by this. "When?" How did she not know about this?

"I went to ask him a few weeks before you graduated, and I was just waiting for the right time," He looked mighty pleased with himself.

"You're such a sneaky little bastard," She huffed.

"So, it's a yes then?" He shrugged off her comment, and slipped the ring onto her finger.

"It's not like I have a choice? You already have the ring on me," She bit her lip, trying to contain her glee. She felt so happy right now, she could burst. "So I guess I'll just have to dealt with it, won't I?"

"You have such a way with words," He teased, pretending to bat away a tear from his cheek. "You know just what to say."

"Oh you idiot, just shut up and kiss me already," She curled her hand around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers.

All around them, cheers and applause erupted from their friends, who had witnessed Embry's unusual proposal. And Bella's even more unusual answer. It made her smile against his lips. "So, Embry Call," She said as they finally broke apart. "Are you going to take me home now, or what?"

They barely made it through the door, before they started tugging at each other's clothes, lips refusing to part as they stumbled their way to the bedroom. Items of clothing were discarded haphazardly onto the floor on their way, and by the time they were in the bedroom, Embry was naked and she only had her panties on.

Embry pushed her onto the bed, and sank down on his knees in front of her. He trailed a path of slow, burning kisses from her ankle up to her thigh, making her wriggle in anticipation. "I can't believe I get to do this for the rest of my life," He whispered against the soft skin of her inner thigh, and hooked his fingers into her panties.

"What do you mean you can't believe it?" Bella panted and rested her head back on the pillow, eager for him to put his lips to her needy nether region. "You didn't even ask me to marry you. You said it, like you were totally confident I'd say yes."

"Oh, you know," He shrugged and pulled her panties down. She lifted her legs, helping him hook the material over her feet. He tossed it to the side and looked up at her, "I was just trying to play it cool. I really hoped you'd say yes, but I was so fucking nervous." He slipped a finger into her, making her moan.

"Well," Bella panted trying to focus on what she was trying to say, "How could I refused when you asked so nicely," She tried to tease, but she was so preoccupied by what he was doing to her. "You've always been so romantic."

"Shut your mouth, will you woman?" He pulled his finger out of her, and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm," He closed his eyes to savor her essence, and when he opened them again, his dark eyes were ablaze with passion and lust. "Why don't you spread those beautiful legs so I can taste you."

Bella eagerly opened her legs even wider, excited for what was to come. Embry grasped her calves and hooked them over his strong, broad shoulders, bending down and pressing his face fully into her wet mound. His tongue flicked her clit, sending a jolt of electricity through her, and her hands curled into the bed sheets as he started licking her deeply.

"Oh Jesus, yes!" She encouraged, bucking her hips up to him, "That feels so good, babe. Don't stop." She begged.

And he didn't, at least, not for a while.

After making her orgasm twice, he crawled onto the bed, eyes hooded and voice husky with need. "I hope you're ready for me, Bells?" He lined himself up with her, the head of his cock pushing against her entrance.

"Wait," She stopped him.

"No no no, please babe," He shook his head. "I need you."

"You don't want a blow job?" She tried to reason with him, scooting up and away from him. It was her turn to repay the favor, wasn't it?

"Maybe later," He declined and grabbed her by the thighs, pulling her back down the bed, hovering over her. "Right now, I just want to bury myself inside of you and get lost."

"Okay," She wrapped her legs around his torso, lifting her hips to grant him easy access.

"I love you so fuckin' much, Bells," He murmured and bucked his hips, groaning loudly as he eased his thick cock into her, "You're all I want."

Embry started off slow, igniting the blood in her veins with every push and pull in and out of her. She would never get used to how good this felt. She had absolutely no need to wonder how it would feel to have sex with someone else - he was all she needed, and sex with him was just so fucking good. So satisfying.

She bit down on the skin right under his jaw, sucking hard, and leaving a dark purple bruise mark, that faded right before her eyes. It seemed to turn him on even more, though, because he pulled out of her, flipped her over and rammed himself back into her without missing a beat. His arm slid from her hip down to her thighs, and his fingers found her clit, circling it with very precise strokes, keeping up his rhythm from behind.

"I don't want to wait too long to get married," He whispered into her ear as she shuddered and cried out her orgasm. "The sooner the better. I want to make you mine in every way possible," He trailed his lips down the side of her neck, toward the juncture between her neck and shoulder, and nibbled gently on her skin there.

Bella couldn't seem to find the words to agree as her bliss consumed her, and attempted to nod while her body convulsed around him. It only took him a few more thrusts, before his grip on her hips tightened, and he came inside of her, moaning out her name through clenched teeth.

"You know," Bella said a while later, trailing patterns over the hard planes of his abdomen as she rested her head on his chest. "I thought you were going to break up with me tonight."

Embry pulled away, sitting up right. "What?" He frowned. "Why would you think that?"

She propped herself up onto her elbow and looked him in the eye, "You were so distant earlier. I thought that maybe you had gotten bored with me."

"Get bored?" He looked surprised by this, "With you?" He shook his head. "Never, Bells. I can't get enough of you," He took her left hand and turned the ring round and round on her finger. "And now that you're wearing my ring, I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"I can still change my mind, you know," She teased.

"I know you can, but then I'd just have to drag you down the isle, cause there's no way I'm letting you go," He promised.

 _ ***end of flashback***_

 **A/N: Did you like it? Let me know what you thought. Not much happened in this chapter, but I wanted to get Embry to notice how well he fits with Bella.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So we're back to only Bella's POV. I feel like I'm going to give too much away if I include too many POV's from Embry. But fear not, I will include some more in later chapters. YankeeGirlNJ and SassYNoleS - you guys know I love you! Thanks for listening to my ideas, and giving your own input too. Also, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed. You made me so happy.**

 **Now, who's up for a little steam? And a dash of drama? Right! Well, here we go.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 9: Damsel in distress**

Bella yawned quietly behind her hand, trying to hide the fact that she was tired from her father, but like the keen observer Charlie was, he noticed. The two of them were having lunch together at the diner. It had been a while since she saw her father. Sunday, to be exact. She had been so preoccupied with everything going on in her life, that she'd neglected him. So, this morning when he'd called her to ask if she was free for lunch, she had jumped at the opportunity.

"You sure you're okay, kiddo?" Her father worried, leaning toward her across the table in the booth they were sitting at. "If you're constantly tired, maybe it's time to go see a doctor."

"No, no," Bella waved it away. "Honestly, Dad, it's not that. We got in late last night. Leah hosted a game night and it got pretty intense." She only told him half of the truth. The other half she chose to omit, was that Jake had come to her room in the middle of the night, with eyes dark and hungry, wanting to 'cuddle'. She had shoved him out of her bed (she was still surprised that she had been able to do that), reminding him of their tentative 'separation'. He wasn't very happy with her, but he had respected her wishes none the less, leaving her falling asleep close to half past three, because she wanted to make sure he didn't come sneaking back into her room. Now that she thought about it, she could just have locked her door.

"Oh," This seemed to appease Charlie. "Well, that's good. You had me worried."

"I'm feeling completely like myself again," Bella added for good measure. "Everything is fine, I promise."

"How's my favorite son-in-law doing?" Charlie asked around a piece of peach cobbler.

"Dad," Bella rolled her eyes, "You only have _one_ son-in-law. So, technically, you can't call him your favorite."

Charlie's mustache twitched, a dead give-away that he was trying to hide his smile. "Sure I can. He'll always be my favorite."

Good thing her dad didn't know about the feelings she harbored for Embry. If she had to venture a guess, she would say that her father would be less than impressed with her, if she told him about it. And that's exactly why she didn't bring up the matter of Jake and her sleeping in separate rooms. Charlie would probably take his side in all of this. Or maybe he wouldn't, but that was besides the point. She didn't want him to know about it, until she decided what she was going to do.

"Have you heard from Billy yet? Is he having fun in Hawaii with Rebecca and what's-his-name?" Charlie finished off his coffee, and signaled to the waitress for another.

"Solomon," She reminded her dad, with a stern look. Her father was good with names, and when he pretended to forget a name, it meant that he didn't think much of the person in question. He would probably always hold Solomon partly to blame for Rebecca leaving Jake to take care of Billy on his own at such a young age. At least Rachel was back home now, too, so all the responsibility didn't rest completely on Jake. Charlie had unknowingly answered one of the questions she's had about where the hell Billy was. She probably could have asked Leah about it, though. Or even Quil, for that matter.

"Yeah, that's it. Solomon." Her dad acknowledged flippantly.

"I haven't spoken to him personally, and Jake hasn't mentioned anything either," She answered his question. "But I'm sure he's having the time of his life. Who wouldn't? It's Hawaii."

"You know it's not as simple as that for him, Bells," Charlie pointed out. "He can't just take a walk on the beach if he feels like it. Or even try and make a fool out of himself by learning how to surf at his age. He's stuck in that chair."

"Yeah, I know. But he gets to see Becca and his grandchildren, and I bet she's more than willing to take him down to the beach, or wherever else he wants to go."

Her father nodded, and slid his mug toward the waitress as she sauntered up to their table with a fresh pot of coffee.

"So, how's Sue?" Bella asked once the waitress walked off to tend to another table.

"Good. Keeps me on my toes, you know. Keeps me healthy," He patted his stomach, cut off a large piece of peach cobbler with the side his fork, and shoveled it into his mouth. "I gotta sneak in some of the unhealthy stuff at the diner every chance I get, so she doesn't know," He winked at her. "After Harry's death, she's become obsessed with making me eat healthy. Says she doesn't want to lose me too."

"Oh Dad," Bella chuckled mischievously and folded her hands on the table, leaning closer toward him. "You really shouldn't have told me this. Now I have ammunition to use against you."

"For what possible reason?" He asked, pretending to look appalled. "I haven't done anything to you."

"Not yet," She teased. "But I'm gonna keep it in my blackmail stash, just for in case."

Charlie's phone rang, and he excused himself to answer the phone. Bella checked the time on her watch, to make sure she had plenty of time to get back to the bookstore, before her lunch was over.

"I gotta go, kid," Her father announced as he returned to the table. "There's been a robbery at the gas station."

"Yeah, of course. Go," She assured him and waved his hand away when he fished out some cash to pay for their lunch, "I can get this one."

"You sure?" She knew he didn't like it when she paid, but he was pressed for time, right now, and she grabbed the opportunity to pay the bill for once.

"Definitely. You can pay for our next lunch," She nodded.

"Say hello to that son-in-law of mine, will you?" He greeted her with a kiss on the head, and walked out of the diner.

The waitress took her sweet ass time to bring the bill, and when Bella finally paid, she had to hurry back to her car. Thanks to the long wait for the bill, Bella was now going to be late.

She got into her car, turned they key and... _nothing._ The car turned over, but didn't start. She knew she wasn't out of gas, because she'd filled up her tank just this morning, on her way to work. There were no warning lights coming on, either, so she had no idea what was wrong with it. She tried to start the car again, just for good measure, but still nothing.

"God dammit!" She yelled, slamming her hands against the steering wheel in frustration. Now she was _really_ going to be late.

Bella sent a quick text to Leah to let her know she was having car trouble, and that she wasn't sure when she'd be back at the bookshop. She then flipped through her contacts, selected Jake's number and pressed the call button.

"Bells," He answered after two rings. "What's up?"

"Hey. Sorry to bother you, but the rabbit won't start. I don't know what's wrong with it. It gave me no trouble on the way to the diner with Charlie."

"Oh shit, Bells," He sighed, and she could see him now, in her mind's eye, raking his hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm in Port A at the moment. Can't you ask Charlie to check what's wrong?"

"He had to get to a robbery at the gas station, so I'm on my own right now," She informed Jake. She could probably take a look, but since she knew nothing about cars, it wouldn't benefit either one of them.

"Okay. Are you still at the diner?" He wanted to know.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'll send Seth to tow you in and check out the problem. Just wait right there."

"Thanks, Jake," She hung up and sank back against the seat, closing her eyes for a few minutes while she waited.

When the tow truck arrived, Bella was surprised to see Embry in the passenger seat and not Seth. Her heart sped up at just the sight of him. She opened her door and got out, leaning against the side of the car while she waited for him.

"What happened?" Embry asked as he folded himself out of the cab and walked over to her.

"I don't know. It just wouldn't start. And before you ask," She held up her hands in defence. "Yes, there is gas in the truck."

"Mmm," He scratched his head. "Pop the hood for me, will you?"

Bella leaned into the car and pulled the little lever, and when she rounded the car, she swallowed hard at the sight of him bent over under the hood, with his head deep in the guts of her car. His muscles were visible through the threadbare t-shirt as it strained over his large torso, rippling with each movement he made.

"Did the car give you any problems before now?" He asked as he re-emerged from under the hood.

"No," She shook her head. "Nothing at all."

"And did it make any noises when you tried to start it?" He checked.

"No, just that annoying noise when I turned the engine over," She shook her head. "Though, I did notice that it idles a little weird, from time to time."

"Like it's misfiring?"

"I don't know what misfiring is." She shrugged.

"Okay," Embry chuckled. "Let's tow the car in," He said. "I'll have a proper look at it once we're back at the auto shop, but I think it might be the distributor."

"Oh," Bella frowned. "Is that bad?"

Embry grinned at her obvious lack of knowledge about cars and their inner workings. "Nah. Should be an easy fix, if we have the part," He wiped his dirty hands on his faded work jeans and Bella had to bite her tongue not to scold him for doing that. She knew from personal experience (since Embry did it a lot, in their 'other life') how hard it was to get those grease stains out of his jeans. "But I know for a fact that it's on Jake's shopping list. So if we don't have the part right now, we'll definitely have it later today when Jake gets back. You'll have your car by tonight at the latest."

"Thanks," She was relieved, since she hated depending on others to drive her around.

"Hop in while I hook the car," He said, and opened the passenger door for her.

The truck smelled like grease and gasoline, and a mix of the pack boys - something she wasn't completely unfamiliar with. It brought back memories of the good old days.

"Sorry about this," She apologized when Embry got into the truck and pulled away from the diner. "I know how busy you are. And Jake said he was sending Seth."

"I don't mind," He shrugged, giving her a small smile before focusing his attention back on the road.

"So, last night was fun, right?" She tried to make small talk, because the awkward silence between them was grating on her nerves.

"If I ever have to play that game again, I'm definitely picking you as a team mate," He informed her. "You were on fire last night."

"Ditto," She said. "You made it real easy for me."

"No offence, Bella, but you really didn't strike me as a girl who would know anything about Star Wars. I'm impressed."

"I'm a huge fan. I just keep it to myself, though. Jake's not really into Star Wars."

"Yeah, I know," Embry agreed with a chuckle. "He says it's a load of crap."

"So, I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, so keep it to yourself. But Leah finally agreed to go on a date with Quil."

"Wow! _Really?_ " He looked surprised by this. "I was sure she was going to make it hard on him."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure she did. You know Leah can be a real ball buster if she puts her mind to it." Bella assured him.

* * *

Bella eased herself onto Embry's work bench as he pushed her car into the bay with little to no effort whatsoever. She watched as he popped the hood again, and leaned into the car. A slip of toffee skin peeked out from between his shirt and jeans, and she bit her lip in an effort not to moan in appreciation. He was a real piece of art, chiseled to perfection by his creator. She would never get used to how attractive he was.

"You know, Bella," Embry spoke from under the hood, not looking up. "You're an amazing woman. And you're strong too," He said, and she wasn't sure where he was going with this. "I don't mean to offend you, and it's probably none of my business, but I don't get why you let Jake treat you like you're a piece of crap?"

"I don't _let_ him treat me like that." She defended herself. She did feel offended by Embry's comment. Was he somehow suggesting that she couldn't stand up for herself?

"Sure you do," He grunted out as he worked on god knows what part of her car. "You keep quiet when you should be calling him out on his shit. You should be fighting back."

"What makes you think I don't fight back?" She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"Well, for one, you didn't fight back the other night at dinner," He pointed out, leaning a little deeper into the car.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. It was bad enough that we were having such a personal conversation in front of you, and I really tried not to make it worse than it already was."

"I get it, Bells, but the situation was already awkward thanks to Jake."

"If you must know, I moved into the guest bedroom for the time being," She said, as if that would make him realize that she wasn't tolerating Jake's behavior. "Things aren't so great with us right now, like you've probably seen, and I'm considering moving out. We're on a trial separation."

"I'm sorry," He said and ducked out from under the car to look her in the eye. He was wearing a deep frown, like he hadn't seen this coming. He walked up to her and grabbed a dirty rag that was lying next to her, wiping his hands on it. "I had no idea things were _that_ bad."

"Don't be sorry," She waved away his concern. "I'm just sick of the way he's behaving. And I don't know if I can continue with the marriage," She admitted. "He's a totally different person lately. He's nothing like the man I remember. And I guess I'm not in love with him anymore."

Embry moved to stand between her legs, resting his hands on her thighs, and looked deep into her eyes for a long moment.

Bella swallowed hard, not daring to move. The look he had in his eyes, was the same as the one from the other night, right before she had kissed him. But this time, she wasn't going to be stupid enough to make the same mistake. If he wanted her, he'd have to be the first to make a move.

She held her breath as he lifted his hand slowly to cup her cheek, palm warm enough to provide her comfort, and she leaned into his touch, never breaking eye contact. Another minute passed, before he leaned forward, eyes still trained carefully on hers like he was gauging her reaction, and lowered his lips to hers, finally kissing her like she had wanted him to, for so long now. It was soft and gentle at first, and she was afraid to move, in case she scared him away. But when she realized he wasn't hesitating or pulling away, she leaned into his lips, reciprocating the kiss. Embry trailed his tongue against her lips, urging her to part them and allow him entrance. He deepened the kiss as soon as she opened her mouth to him, and slid his hands into her hair, grabbing a fistful on each side of her head, taking complete control. The kiss became more demanding with every breath they shared, and she moaned her approval as his tongue explored her mouth. She loved the way Embry tasted – she had almost forgotten just how much. He tasted of spearmint Tic Tac and Pepsi, but there was still his unique taste that she could never get enough of.

He closed the small gap between the two of them, settling firmly in between her legs. And _oh my!_ He was so hard. She could feel his cock pushing up against her throbbing center, and tried her best not to moan. The idea that he was so turned on by merely kissing her, was driving her wild. Embry mumbled something against her lips, before resuming the kiss with even more fervor than before, but all she could hear right now, was the violent beating of her heart in her ears.

Embry didn't grind against her or buck his hips, but she was still damned pleased with herself that she was turning him on. It meant that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. And for the first time since she kissed him, he wasn't denying her. He was taking what _he_ wanted.

His lips left hers, and traveled down her neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. She circled her legs around his waist, eager for even more contact. One of his hands released her hair, and slid down toward her breasts, grazing ever so slightly over a firm nipple. He cupped his hand over her breast, and gave a firm squeeze that made her cry out in pleasure.

Someone cleared their throat, making the two of them jump apart with lightning speed.

"By all means, please continue," It was Paul. "Don't let me interrupt. Just pretend I'm not here," He walked past them, toward a silver Chevy with a missing bumper and a broken headlight, wearing a massive smirk.

"Paul," Embry lifted his hands in defense. "This isn't what it looks like."

Bella chipped in as well, trying to save the situation. "Yeah, we were just-"

"Kissing?" Paul completed for her. "Yeah, I can see that. Looks like it was one hell of a kiss," He pointed to the suspicious bulge in Embry's pants.

Bella tried to rein in her incriminating blush, while Embry tried to save the situation.

"We didn't mean to kiss," He said. "It just happened, and we had no intention of hurting Jake."

"Don't worry about it, guys," He chuckled and shrugged. "I'm not gonna rat you out to Jake. I don't even like him. I only tolerate him, because of Rachel."

Bella hopped down from the table, feeling very embarrassed. "I think you should take me home now," She said to Embry, and hurried out of the bay before the situation with Paul could become even more awkward. They had been really reckless kissing like that where anyone could walk in on them, just like Paul had. She didn't regret the kiss by any means, but just maybe where it had happened. It was already hard just to think straight with Embry in the vicinity, but having him pressed up against her, kissing her like he couldn't get enough of her, made it even harder. At least Paul wasn't going to say anything to Jake, but she was still worried about what he thought of her, since she so easily let Embry kiss her.

"I shouldn't want you as much as I do," Embry admitted with a frustrated sigh as he drove her home in his pick-up truck. He turned to look at her, face expressionless.

"And _I_ probably shouldn't like the fact that you want me, as much as I do," She pointed out, and leaned against the window. "But we were being reckless," She voiced her concerns of earlier. "If it had been Seth who walked in on us, this would have been a totally different story. There is no way Seth would keep a secret like this from Jake. You know he worships the ground Jake walks on."

"It could have been _Jake_ walking in on us," Embry pointed out, fixing her with a severe look.

"Yeah, you're right," Bella agreed. "That would have been _so_ much worse."

"We really need to end this right now, before things go too far, and we hurt Jake even more," Embry didn't look at her as he spoke the words. "I'm sorry Bella, but I don't think I can be the kind of friend who sleeps with his best friend's wife."

"Who said anything about sleeping together?"

Embry chuckled mirthlessly, his expression dark. "Do you have any idea how hard it was just now, keeping my hands to myself? It would have been effortless to tear away your pants and take you right there on the work bench," He chewed on his lip before he spoke again. "Can you honestly say that you would have stopped me? How far would we have gone if Paul hadn't walked in on us?"

"I don't know, Em," She admitted, but he had a point. If he'd wanted to have sex with her, she probably would have let him. She was putty in his hands; She never could resist him.

"The only way to end this is to stay as far as possible from each other. Avoid temptation."

Bella didn't answer, and turned away from him, wrapping her arms around her torso. She felt so empty and despondent all of a sudden. He was choosing his friendship with Jake over her. And who could blame him? She had to admit that she knew it would be the case. But it still made her heart ache.

* * *

Bella was busy unpacking Jake's suitcase from his trip to Seattle, and sorted through the clothes so she could do some laundry while the steaks were grilling in the oven. She emptied out Jake's pants pockets, because he tended to leave receipts, change or other crap in his pockets, and pulled a red thong from the pocket of his jeans.

She had never considered herself a genius, but only an idiot would not know what this meant. Finding lingerie in your husband's pocket that clearly didn't belong to you, only meant one thing. He'd had himself a little fun on the side while in Seattle. Despite not seeing a future for her and Jake together anymore, she still felt deeply unsettled by the fact that he would cheat on her so easily, and then come crawling into her bed without any guilt, like he'd done last night. She was suddenly very relieved that she had turned him away.

She left the laundry right there on the floor, sidestepping the small pile of clothes, to turn off the oven. She grabbed a wine glass with shaking hands, and filled it up with wine. She set out a plate, a knife and a fork for Jake, and placed the thong on the plate, so it would be clearly visible once Jake got home. Instead of continuing dinner (she had lost her appetite now, anyway), she turned on the TV and flopped herself down on the couch, waiting for Jake to come home.

"I'm home." He called out as he walked into the house a short while later.

"You're dinner is on the table," She said in a friendly voice, pretending that nothing was up, and turned back to watch an installment of Grey's anatomy. She was way too distracted to follow what was happening, and instead, listened carefully for any sort of reaction from Jake.

"Is this an invitation for sex?" She heard him ask in a smooth, alluring baritone, and turned around in her seat, finding him sauntering toward her with the thong hanging from his index finger. "You wanna start over?"

"Nope," She said in a flat tone. Did he honestly not remember where that thong came from? Did it not look familiar to him at all? "It's not. I just thought you might want to explain why I found a piece of lingerie in your jeans? One that doesn't belong to me."

Jake looked flustered for a moment, but regained his cocky composure in seconds, giving her his 'come to bed' grin. "I bought it for you."

"Really, Jake?" She got up from the couch and walked over to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Did you shop lift it then? Pulled off the tag and stuffed it into your pocket?" She couldn't believe he was lying to her. "And did you have another woman try it on first, to see if it would look good on me?" She was fuming by this point, hating the fact that he underestimated her intelligence. "Because, THE FUCKING THING HAS BEEN WORN ALREADY!"

"I swear I bought it for you, Bells," He defended himself, but backed away like he was actually scared of her.

"Don't you dare fucking lie to me, Jacob Black!" She pointed a finger at him. "I'm not an idiot. I'm your wife, and I think I deserve to know the truth. So, spare me the bullshit, and tell me what the hell is _really_ going on."

"Fine, Bells," He sighed and tossed the garment onto one of the couches. "It was a one time thing," He admitted. "But I swear it didn't mean anything."

"Did you really go to Seattle to fix Aaron's car?"

"No," He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I got a friend request on facebook from an old crush I had in high school. And I was itching to see her again, after all these years. To catch up, you know? And I've been wanting to go to Seattle to check out some parts that we need for the auto shop. There's this place in Seattle that sells the parts for much cheaper than Port Ange does. So I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. Erin and I met up, and had a few drinks. One thing lead to another, and she came back to the inn with me. And we had sex."

"Oh god," She fisted her hands in her hair, not believing what she was hearing. So Aaron was actually Erin. "You went all the way to Seattle just to fuck another woman? I can't believe you."

"I was just curious, Bells. Sam said that it's acceptable for an alpha to take more than one lover. It's his prerogative to sow his oats, so to speak. "

"Sow your oats?" Bella fought the bile rising in her throat. "Jesus Christ, Jacob! Please tell me you didn't try and make her pregnant?"

"Of course not," He assured her.

"Did you at least use protection?"

Jake awkwardly shuffled his feet, looking down. "We got a little carried away, and it sorta slipped my mind. But I didn't have a condom on me, anyway." He said the last part, like it would absolve him.

"For fuck's sake! You're kidding, right?" She stared at him with open-mouthed disbelief. How could he be so stupid?

Jake shook his head, but at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"So, Sam cheats on Emily, does he? Is she the only woman he got pregnant?"

"No. He chose not to take another lover."

"But _you_ chose to?" She asked, although they'd already been over it.

"I was just curious to find out how it felt to sleep with another woman. You know I've only ever been with you."

"Yeah," Bella nodded vehemently. "I know. You couldn't keep your dick in your pants, could you?" She fumed. "I just hope for your sake she's on the pill, or some kind of contraception, or you'll be getting a call form her pretty soon, telling you that you're going to be a daddy."

"I think you're overreacting," He said. "She's not going to get pregnant. I didn't come inside of her."

"Oh, well what a fucking relief," She couldn't remember ever swearing as much as she did tonight, but he'd given her reason enough to do just that. "That makes it all so much easier to digest."

"Oh come on Bells. Why don't we just forget that this ever happened? You know how much I love you. Can't we just be done with this?"

"The fact that you can stand here and say that you love me to my face, makes me sick. You make me sick!" She shook her head in disgust. "I don't even want to be near you right now."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to become a prude all of a sudden, I wouldn't have felt the need to go look for sex somewhere else," He shot back. It was a low blow.

She walked up to him, pulled back her arm and slapped him hard across the face. "You're a fucking asshole, Jake!" She turned away, and headed for her room. He could make his own goddamn dinner. _And_ do his own dirty laundry, for that matter. But she turned back to him, before heading to her bedroom. "And you know what, Jake? You're going on about your prerogative as alpha, but you're not even the alpha yet. _Sam_ still is."

Bella locked the guest bedroom door behind her, pulled her phone out of her pocket, and dialed her mother's number, needing to talk to her right now. Ask for advice. She didn't know how to proceed right now. All she knew was that she couldn't stay with Jake any longer.

"Hello, stranger," Her mother greeted her. "I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever."

Bella's tears started to flow at the sound of her mother's voice. She couldn't understand why she was so upset about this. It's not like she wanted Jake. But what she did know, was that it disturbed her that Jake, her best friend since forever, turned out to be such an asshole. "Hi, Mom."

"What's the matter, baby girl? It sounds like you're crying."

"Oh god," Bella choked. "Where do I begin?"

"Tell me everything," Her mother pressed.

"Things haven't been going so great between Jake and me, recently. I don't exactly know why, but he's different. And he's been such an asshole to me lately." She explained to Reneé.

"Oh honey. I'm so sorry to hear that. But remember, all marriages have their ups and downs," She reminded Bella. "Sometimes you go through rough patches, but you come out the other side a stronger couple."

"Yeah, Mom. I know, but that's not all," Bella took a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "Jake cheated on me."

"What?" Her mother sounded shocked. "You can't be serious?"

"Unfortunately I am," She sighed. "I was doing his laundry from his trip to Seattle, tonight, and emptied his pockets out before washing his pants, because I know he tends to leave things in his pockets. And I pulled a red thong from it. A thong that's already been worn."

"What did he say when you confronted him?" Reneé asked.

"He tried to deny it at first, but eventually he admitted that it was a one time thing with and old crush of his. And get this mom," She grimaced, "He didn't even use protection with her. He had no idea if she was on any form of contraception. Didn't even bother to ask. He said they got 'carried away'."

"I don't know what to say, except that I'm so very disappointed in Jacob. I honestly never thought he would be the type of guy who'd do something like this."

"Neither did I," Bella agreed. "His unwavering moral compass had always been one of the things I admired most about him."

"Does Charlie know yet?" Her mother wanted to know.

"No, mom. It literally happened just now. And to be honest, I don't even know if Charlie will believe me. He's crazy about Jake."

"Oh no, honey. You've got it all wrong. Charlie likes Jake, yes, but you're his baby girl. You know he'd do _anything_ to protect you." She informed Bella.

"What do I do now? Do I move back in with Dad and Sue?"

"Why don't you rather ask Leah if you can stay with her for the time being? You need your best friend right now. Charlie is great, don't get me wrong, but you know he doesn't deal with emotions too well." Her mother pointed out.

"Guess you're right," Bella agreed. "All I know is, I can't continue staying with Jake. I need to get away from him."

 **A/N: Yeah, so _that_ happened. I feel so sorry for Bella.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm very sorry that I took so long to update. I'm playing around with an idea for a new story, and aside from that, it was a crazy busy two weeks. Thank you once again to YankeeGirlNJ and SassYNoleS for being my soundboards, and to all those who always review so diligently. I love you all. Hope you guys enjoy the next chapter. It's a lot of Embry/Bella interaction.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 10: Stay**

 **BPOV**

When Bella phoned Leah to ask if she could come over and spend the night, her friend agreed without missing a beat, but of course, wanted to know what was wrong. It had been a struggle to get Leah to let it go until she got to her place, where they could talk better. She didn't want to discuss anything over the phone and have Jake overhear the conversation. With promises that she'd be over very soon, Bella finally got Leah off the phone.

Bella hastily packed an overnight bag, hauled it over her shoulder and peeked out of the guest bedroom. It was quiet in the house and Jake's bedroom light wasn't on. She wondered where he was? Sleeping perhaps? Satisfied that the coast was clear, Bella hurried through the hallway and past the living room, toward the front door, when a large figure caught her eye. She turned, squinting into the darkness and found Jake sitting in the corner. The sight before her made her hesitate for a second. Jacob was leaning forward, head down with his hands in his hair, looking heavy-hearted. She almost abandoned her plans to comfort him instead, but reminded herself that he had purposely gone to Seattle to fuck Erin. He had made the conscious descision to go. He hadn't been drunk at the time, and the worst part was, he was probably already planning the trip when he'd asked her if he could make love to her in the bath tub the other night. That had been the night that almost convinced her it wouldn't be so bad if she chose Jake. _What a fucking joke!_

She looked away instead, lifted her head and squared her shoulders, determinedly marching right on by him without so much as a goodbye, and slammed the door shut behind her. The wedding picture of them that she had passed on her way out, made her snort with derision. They looked so happy there, while they were anything but happy now. She wondered if either of them had expected their marriage to turn out the way it did? He should have known his lies and dirty laundry (literally) would catch up with him. She could see that he was sorry for what he did, but for how long? Soon, he would just do it again, simply assuming that she would once again forgive him. This time sorry was _not_ going to cut it. He had unknowingly put the last nail in the coffin that was their marriage.

Bella took a deep, steadying breath as she stood on the porch to Leah's house, before knocking twice and letting herself in. She shuffled in and dumped her bag on the floor next to the coat hanger, rubbing her shoulder where the strap had chaffed her skin.

She was surprised to see Embry when she finally looked up. He was sitting next to Quil on one of Leah's large weathered couches. But then again, finding Embry here made sense. Quil was a very good friend of Embry's, so it was only natural for him to hang around Leah's place, since Quil was spending most of his time with Leah, these days. They were busy watching a movie, and she greeted them with a pathetic wave of the hand, passing by toward the kitchen. Embry's eyes immediately narrowed, and his expression shifted to a severe scowl when he noticed Bella's red, blotchy face.

"What the fuck happened?" Leah rounded the kitchen counter with a large knife held firmly in a white-knuckled russet hand, wearing an apron and looking battle ready, like she was intent on slaughtering the anonymous wrongdoer who had made her best friend cry.

Wait! Was Leah actually cooking?

"I could ask you the same thing," Bella said, pointing to Leah's apron in an attempt at humor, trying to avoid her friend's question altogether. "Since when do you cook?"

Leah blushed and made a feeble attempt at shrugging nonchalantly, "Since I have two hungry wolves in my house right now," She stated. "Three if you include me. But don't try to get out from under the spotlight. Come help me in the kitchen, and you can tell me all about it."

When Bella looked over her shoulder at Embry, she found Quil and him turned toward her, watching her carefully with unguarded curiosity, like they wanted to be part of the conversation. She ignored them, and stepped into the kitchen, ready to help.

"So, what happened?" Leah asked again, handed her a knife and chopping board, and turned to get the ingredients for the salad.

"I was busy making dinner, and while the steaks were grilling in the oven, I started on the laundry from Jake's trip to Seattle," She explained. "I emptied out the pockets of his jeans, because I know he always leaves all kinds of crap in there. And this time, it was a red, lacy thong. One that's clearly been worn already."

"What the fuck!" Leah cursed in outrage. "You're not serious?"

"Oh, I am." She nodded gravely and continued with the rest of the details.

When Bella looked up after telling Leah everything, both Quil and Embry were standing near the entrance, looking pissed off as well. Embry's hands were visibly shaking as they hung next to his sides. Bella knew this look well.

"I don't get why you're crying about the fucker, though," Leah pointed out. "What he did was really fucked up, I know, but it's not like you want him anymore, right?"

"Of course I don't!" She shook her head vehemently, glancing at Embry to make sure he heard her words clearly. She didn't want him to have any doubt that she still wanted Jake back. Her statement seemed to ease some of his tension, making her relax in turn. "But he's still my best friend. Or he used to be," She shrugged. "And I guess I thought he was better than this."

"So what if this Erin girl gets pregnant?" Quil wondered. "What's gonna happen then?"

"She won't. Jake said he didn't come inside of her," Bella assured Quil. "Not that it matters. I'm leaving him, anyway."

"And you believed him?" Embry chipped in, looking exasperated. "For Christ sake, Bells. He's a grown man with a selfish attitude. What makes you think he'd pull out at the last second?"

Bella blanched at Embry's words. As terrible as it was to hear, he had a point. She sighed into her hands, feeling frustrated. "Well, it was his choice. He's not an idiot. He knows the consequences," She looked up at her friends. "So if this girl does fall pregnant, it's Jake's mess to clean, and not mine."

* * *

 **LPOV**

After dinner, Leah leaned against the white vein laminate counter top, arms resting on the surface, watching Bella and Embry as they were sitting side by side on the couch, watching a movie. Embry had his arm wrapped endearingly around her, rubbing the side of her arm up and down in an attempt to comfort her. That's what her friend needed right now. She needed Embry to be there for her. He was the one that she really wanted, and it would do her a world of good to be close to him tonight. She needed something solid and stable – something only Embry could provide.

Embry lifted his hand from Bella's arm to stroke her hair gently, while her head rested on his shoulder. From Bella's slow, steady breathing, Leah knew her friend was out for the count. She could see what a beautiful couple they probably were in Bella's real life. How they fit together so perfectly. So effortlessly. She kinda hated those words: 'Real life'. Like _her_ life was fake. Like her own life would fade away if Bella ever got back to her own reality.

"Looks like things are going well for those two," Quil whispered into Leah's ear, stroking his hands down her sides, and wrapping them around her waist from behind. He nuzzled into her hair, and she let him do so without putting up a fight. She was too far gone where Quil was concerned, and she was planning on telling him that she was love in with him too, tomorrow night on their date.

"I think he might actually be falling for her." She said and turned around in Quil's embrace.

"I think they're both falling hard." Quil nodded with a sparkle in his eye, and Leah wasn't quite sure to whom Quil was referring. To Bella and Embry, or to themselves?

Quil backed Leah up against the counter, and captured her lips in a heated kiss. It was so easy for her to respond. He had the ability to light a fire inside of her that she couldn't seem to get under control. Just one touch from him, made her melt into a useless, wanton mess, but at the same time made her feel wild and untamed. It made her want to rip all his clothes off and let him have her any which way he wanted. It was a good thing that he knew exactly how to dominate her in the bedroom, because she had always been the one to take control of sex with other guys. But Quil taking control of her so effortlessly, made the sex so much hotter for her.

"You know you guys don't have to stay here and continue to dry hump each other in the kitchen, right?" Embry interrupted, trying to hide his grin. "You're more than welcome to go do your thing in the bedroom. I'll lay Bella down in the guest bedroom, and I promise I'll lock up when I leave."

Leah snorted and Quil chuckled. They were caught out. But she was really keen on taking things to the bedroom with Quil. She had a few things she wanted him to do to her tonight that weren't very PG. "You sure Em? I don't mind waiting around."

"By all means, go," He assured her. "Besides, hearing you guys get hot and heavy in the kitchen is going to make me sick."

"You're just jealous, man." Quil smirked.

"Why would I be jealous? I get plenty of sex, thank you very much." Embry pointed out.

"Oh yeah?" Quil challenged his friend. "When was the last time you had a girl over?"

Embry's face fell and he didn't answer the question. Leah wondered if maybe Quil had hit the nail on the head. Was Embry giving up his bachelors life? Maybe he was really falling for Bella? Falling hard enough that he wasn't interested in one night stands anymore?

"Don't worry man, I'm just yanking your chain," Quil assured him. "Something I bet you've been doing plenty of, lately. Must be so _hard_ not to have had sex in almost a week."

Leah bit down on her lip to stop herself from laughing at Quil's sexual innuendo's.

"Go fuck yourself, Quil." Embry snarked, looking very irritated.

"Myself?" Quil asked. "I think you mean, go fuck L-"

"Enough now!" Leah interrupted. If she didn't stop these two, they'd probably continue all night. God knows, Quil had way too much of a dirty mind to ever run out of quips. "Let's give him his space, shall we?" She asked Quil, tugging on his hand. "Let's go." She motioned toward the bedroom with the lift of her chin, and Quil followed eagerly behind her. He was so easily distracted.

* * *

 **EPOV**

Seeing Bella sleeping so peacefully in his arms, made Embry's heart warm for some reason. He was glad that she had settled down after the whole ordeal with Jake, tonight. For the life of him, he couldn't comprehend why Jake would want to have sex with another woman, when he had Bella. She was kind, and beautiful, and sexy. So fucking sexy. If he was Jake, he'd never even look at another woman. He felt very protective of Bella, and he was so unbelievably attracted to her, that it almost drove him mad. Since the kiss that night at Jake's and her house, he hadn't taken a single woman to bed again. He had no desire to. Especially since he imagined Bella in his bed, every time sex crossed his mind. And that right there was trouble.

Embry carefully scooped Bella up into his arms, trying not to jostle her too much as he carried her down the hall toward the guest bedroom. He didn't switch on the light, afraid that it might disturb her. Besides, he didn't have any trouble seeing in the dark, thanks to his lupine vision. Holding her steady in one arm, he pulled the covers back with the other, and laid her down on the bed. He removed her shoes, and pulled the covers over her, tucking her in.

"Good night, Bells," He whispered and kissed her on her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

Bella's eyes fluttered open, and she reached for him, shaking her head. "No. Don't go, Em."

"I have to go. I can't stay here."

"Please?" She begged, pushing her bottom lip out into a pout. "Please stay with me?"

Embry knew this was a bad idea. He was already in way over his head. Sleeping next to her was going to lead to a ton of trouble for him. He already had this burning desire to make love to her, and having her sleeping in his arms was going to stretch his self-control to the limit. But how could he say no to her? "Okay," He agreed despite himself. "I just need to lock up. I'll be back in a minute."

After locking the front door, and making sure the back door was locked as well, he turned off the lights in the living room and kitchen, and headed back to the guest room.

He was certain that neither Quil, nor Leah would be any the wiser if he stayed over. And if they did find out, they probably wouldn't mind. He was sure they were pre-occupied anyway, and he'd just leave early, before any of them woke up. He just didn't want Quil or Leah to think they were messing around while Bella was still a married woman, which was exactly what they were doing.

Bella was lying awake when he entered the room, obviously waiting up to make sure he didn't bail. He removed his shoes, placed them next to the chest of drawers, and lay down on the covers, opting not to tempt himself even more. If he got under the covers with Bella, and felt her warm body pressed up against him, he might not have enough self-control to stop himself from ravaging her like a selfish bastard.

"You don't want to get under the covers?" Bella wondered. "It's nice and warm here."

"I bet it is," He chuckled. If she only knew the direction his thoughts were heading in. How tempted he actually was. "But I'm okay like this."

"Thanks for staying," She sighed contentedly, and burrowed herself into his side, resting her head on his chest and curled her arm around his waist. Fuck. Even this was turning him on. Just her scent alone was driving him insane, not to mention the fact that she was touching him. He was glad that it was dark, so Bella couldn't see how hard she was making this for him. _Literally._

It didn't take long for Bella to fall asleep. After about fifteen minutes, he heard her heartbeat slow and her breathing become even and deep again. Thank god for this, because if she had tried to tempt him tonight, chances were that he would have given in instantly. He had been without sex for much longer than he was used to, and having the subject of his dirty dreams and desires so close to him on a regular basis, especially tonight, was making him a little 'blue'. He'd have to take care of himself in the shower tomorrow morning when he got home, or he was surely going to burst.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella was sitting flat on her butt in Leah's guest bedroom, legs crossed, busy unpacking her suitcases later the next afternoon. She looked around her at the sparse ivory walls, deciding that she needed to get some pictures up if she failed to get Embry to fall for her in time. Leah had been the one to insist that Bella move in with her, before Bella could even broach the subject, and encouraged her to make this room her own. She had also talked Bella into staying home today, so she could get all her personal items moved here from Jake's and her place while he was at work, and sort out her room. She assured Bella that they would be just fine without her for the day.

Every time she thought about the fact that Embry had spent the night next to her in this very bed, butterflies assaulted her stomach. It was only a small step in the right direction for Embry and her, but she still wanted to do a victory dance. He had kissed her on the forehead when he got out of bed at the crack of dawn, and said that he had to get home, so he could shower and get ready for work. He had looked so beautiful with his cheeks flushed from sleeping, his hair a little tousled and eyes still bleary. Bella was surprised that he'd actually stayed the whole night. She was sure that she was going to wake up alone in the morning.

Bella had gotten up with Embry, flipping the kettle on after she had greeted him at the door. She had shuffled through the kitchen and down the hallway toward Leah's room, opening the door to ask if she wanted coffee. She knew Leah was an early riser. But the sight before her had made her wish she had knocked, like a normal person would have, instead of just barging in.

Leah was on top of Quil, riding him hard...

The mental image of Quil's fingers digging into Leah's ass cheeks to hold her steady, and the rapturous expression on his face, was something that was now burned into her brain forever. She gagged mentally. This was not something she had wanted to witness. EVER! Talking about sex with Leah was one thing, but seeing her 'in action' was another thing entirely.

Bella had apologized profusely to them and cupped a hand over her eyes to avoid seeing even more than she already had, saying that she didn't think Quil was still here.

Without stopping what she was doing, Leah had looked over her shoulder at Bella, winked and said that some coffee would be nice, and that she'd be down in a minute.

Bella had already backed halfway out of the room by the time Leah was done speaking, shutting the door securely behind her. It was so fucking embarrassing. Well, for her, anyway. Apparently those two were having too much fun to stop just because Bella had walked in on them.

Leah had laughed at Bella's obvious mortification when she and Quil had made it to the kitchen a short while after the 'incident'. Bella hadn't been able to look either of them in the eye, wearing a blush like she'd been sunburned.

When Quil finally left for work, Leah had apologized for what Bella had witnessed, but said that since the two of them were going to live together from now on, they should probably make knocking their number one rule.

She put away the last of her clothes, zipped up her suitcases and pushed them under the bed. Finished at last. She had neglected to pack anything but her clothes and toiletries, since she had no idea which of their things actually belonged to her, or Jake. But since Leah's place already had everything she needed, she wasn't really bothered to ask Jake about it yet.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, and let out a deep sigh. She was glad that she was finally out from under Jake's roof. He had made his bed, and now he was going to have to lie in it. She wanted to go see a lawyer to get the divorce proceedings on a roll, but she'd wait it out and see if it was actually necessary to do so. No point in wasting precious time and money when she was going to be out of here soon.

Leah had said that she was going on a date with Quil tonight, so Bella was going to be all by herself. She didn't particularly mind it. She would be able to get in some 'me time' and watch a few movies that she hadn't seen yet. Make a big bowl of popcorn and get out a bottle of wine.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Leah and Quil were just about to leave for their date, when there was a knock on the door. Bella looked up from the couch with curiosity as Quil went to answer the door.

"Hey, man," She heard him greet whoever was on the other side of the door. "You here to see Bella?" She couldn't hear who it was, but she prayed to god that it wasn't Jake. She didn't have the energy to deal with him right now. She'd go to him when she was ready.

She was pleasantly surprised, however, to find Embry walking into the house. "Yeah," He answered Quil, but looked at her and smiled, showing off his dimples. "Just wanted to see how Bella's holding up."

Quil gave Embry a sly smile, "I bet you do." And winked at Bella.

"We'll leave you guys to it then," Leah said and grabbed her purse and an overnight bag. "I'm probably going to spend the night at Quil's place," She informed Bella, squeezing her shoulder on the way out. "So I'll see you tomorrow after I get off work?"

"Yeah," Bella nodded. It was Leah turn to work the weekend. She should probably go in and check on her tomorrow, to see if she was coping on her own.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?" Leah wanted to know.

"Of course I am," Bella assured her with a smile and a nod of the head. "Now go. Stop worrying about me and enjoy your date."

"Are we going to see you at the beach tomorrow afternoon, Embry?" Quil asked. Bella had almost forgotten about the bonfire the pack had arranged for tomorrow. It was starting at three, giving them a chance to have a swim and get some sun, before the actual bonfire started.

"I guess I can make an appearance," He shrugged.

"Good," Quil nodded, snaking his arm around Leah's waist and ushering her out the front door. He leaned back in before closing the door, wearing a massive grin. "You kids be good. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Bella wanted to tell him that it basically left them free to do anything, then, but didn't get the chance. The door was closed even before she could open her mouth.

"What were you planning on doing all by yourself tonight?" Embry took a seat next to Bella, sitting close enough to her that she could feel his heat through her clothes. He was obviously freshly showered, smelling of soap and some new brand of deodorant that she didn't know, but really liked on him.

"I was just about to make some popcorn and watch a movie."

"A girly, romantic movie?" Embry grimaced. "Like the notebook or something?"

"No. Not a girly movie," She shook her head and chuckled. She knew Embry despised fluffy movies on principle alone, and she wasn't one for those types either. Not usually, though. "I've got a list of a few movies that I still haven't watched."

"Which are?" He looked apprehensive.

"Suicide squad, Keeping up with the Joneses, Nerve and the Mechanic: Resurrection." Bella listed the options, hoping there were a few that he wanted to see as well. "Leah is such a darling. She has them all on tivo."

"I haven't seen any of them yet, either." He said, looking more interested now.

"Well, what do you want to watch?" He could choose anything he wanted, as long as she got to spend time with him. To her, that was all that really mattered.

"Oh no, I'm just the party crasher. It's your choice."

Bella shrugged. It was nice of him to let her pick. "I was leaning toward Suicide Squad."

"Good choice." He agreed and picked up the remote.

"Why don't you put on the movie, and I'll go make the popcorn?" She suggested and got up.

"You know you'd better make a big bowl, right?" He grinned.

She winked at him, chuckling. "Yeah, I know. Wolf appetite and what not." She shook her head in amusement. The wolf boys and their abnormal appetites was something she'd never get used to. On her way to the kitchen, a thought occurred to her. "Em, have you eaten yet?" She could guess his answer, though. He seemed to be useless when it came to feeding himself.

"Nah," She heard him say.

"You want me to make you something to eat?" She enjoyed cooking for him, and she felt like she was somehow still obligated to take care of him.

"How about we just order some pizza instead?" He suggested. "Then you can take it easy."

Bella nodded in agreement. She liked the idea of taking it easy tonight. "I can do pizza. You want me to call?"

"No," He shook his head. "Do your popcorn thing, and we can order halfway through the first movie. It's still early enough."

Bella did just that, putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave, and leaned back against the kitchen table, waiting for the first bag to pop. She'd probably have to make two bags, just so there would be enough for Embry.

When she got back to the living room, she took a seat next to Embry and handed him the popcorn.

"Mmm," He sniffed appreciatively at the buttery snack and pulled her into his side. She leaned into him even more and rested her head on his chest, just below his collar bone. This was where she wanted to exist for the rest of her life, if she could. He deftly balanced the bowl on his lap, and scrolled through the list of movies, selecting the one they'd decided on.

"Want some popcorn?" He asked, stuffing his own mouth full.

"No thanks. Maybe later." She declined. She was enjoying being in his arms, and right now all she wanted to do was stay where she was. Popcorn was the last thing on her mind.

About ten minutes into the movie, Embry unexpectedly turned to look at her with eyes as dark as midnight, so intense, that her heart instantly kicked into overdrive, beating wildly against her chest. She was sure that he would be able to hear it. The look was all too familiar and she found herself unable to look away. She held her breath, waiting for his next move, all the while keeping her gaze locked on those inviting lips of his, hoping he'd kiss her.

Embry leaned in, curled his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face closer to his. But instead of starting the kiss out slow, like the first time he'd kissed her in the workshop, this one was rougher. More demanding. He captured her bottom lip between his teeth, and tugged on it, making her moan in satisfaction. He deepened the kiss as soon as her lips parted, placed the popcorn on the coffee table without breaking the kiss, and pulled her onto his lap with two strong and sure hands. She could feel his cock pressing firmly between her legs, and it felt fucking sensational. She wanted nothing more than to have him inside of her.

He pulled her closer against him, grinding himself into her throbbing center. Bella threw her head back, satisfied that they were on the same page, and let her hands travel up under his shirt, trying to commit every dip and swell of his muscled body to memory, in case this was the last time she could touch him like this. She opened her eyes to find him watching her with hooded eyes and a lopsided, pantry dropper smirk on those delicious lips, bucking up into her again. She could understand how he was able to get women into bed so effortlessly.

She pushed his shirt up his body, nudging him to lift his arms. He eagerly complied with a deep, amused chuckle, and was left with sexy, ruffled hair once the shirt was over his head. She aimlessly threw the material onto the floor, and lowered her mouth to that gorgeous body of his, trailing a path of open-mouthed kisses from his pecks up to his neck and licked the rough skin of his jaw, where a five o'clock shadow was making its appearance.

"Fuck," He groaned and pushed her away from him. She was afraid that she had done something wrong, until he grabbed the hem of her shirt, and copied her by peeling it from her body. His lips grazed the milky swells of her breasts, just above her bra, and he grabbed the cups, tearing them open at the front so her breasts spilled from the lacy material, free to be consumed by his mouth.

He did just that, pulling a rosy nipple into his mouth and sucked ardently on the flesh, while one of his large hands kneaded the other.

After a few intense minutes of his torturous attention, Bella pulled away and fumbled with the button on his pants, trying to rid him of the material that was clearly hindering them from doing what they both wanted to do so badly.

He easily pushed her down on the couch, one hand splayed open over her stomach to keep her still, while the other deftly slipped his pants from his hips, revealing the sexy curves of his hips that bled into that defined v she loved so much. It was like a neon sign, compelling her eyes to dip lower. He was completely bare underneath, and Bella boldly looked at his perfectly sculptured body, cock standing proudly at attention. She licked her lips at the enticing display that was Embry, unable to feel even the slightest bit of shame for staring so openly at her husband. He was still _her husband,_ no matter how many worlds apart. And she wasn't going to apologize for wanting him as much as she did.

With careful but sure hands, he tugged her pants down her legs, and discarded them next to the couch, leaving her in only her panties. Embry dragged in an appreciative lungful of air, chest rumbling with the beginnings of a growl. She knew that sound. He was savoring the scent of her arousal. And he was on the hunt... _for her._

He licked his lips and slid his hand slowly up her thigh, eyes trained on her face like he wanted to make sure she was okay with this, despite his hunger. When he found no protest reflecting in her eyes, he traced his finger over her panties, where the wet material clung to her mound, and pushed against her entrance.

Bella gasped and bucked her hips up into his touch, silently begging for more. This seemed to please him, because he pulled the material to the side and slid his finger over her slick lips and pinched her clit, making her whimper. And before she could even register what was happening, he dipped a hot, thick finger into her and started moving.

"So wet for me, Bells," He murmured in a rich, silky baritone that gave her goosebumps. "It's such a fucking turn on." He continued to pump into her, adding a second finger once he was satisfied that she was ready for more of him."

All Bella could manage was a mumbled plea for him to keep going. That it felt really good. That she wanted more. She wasn't sure he could understand a word she was saying, until she felt a sharp tug, and heard the tearing of material.

He curled his fingers deep inside of her, stroking her walls and found _that_ spot inside of her that sent her writhing. He kept it up, grinding the heel of his palm against her clit, giving her the friction that she craved so desperately. She could feel his cock graze against her thigh, so hard, but yet so very soft, like silk on silk, as he hovered over her. And just the idea of having it so close to her, where he could easily trade his fingers for that hard column of flesh and push into her to give them what they both desired, was enough to push her over the edge into a loud orgasm. She ground herself against his fingers as her body tightened and trembled around him from the pleasure he was giving her, dragging a deep, whooping breath into her burning lungs.

Embry pulled his fingers out of her once her body relaxed against him, and spread her legs even wider, lowering his head and eagerly licking every last drop of her essence from where it was leaking from between her thighs. Another growl escaped his lips, sending vibrations against her sensitive skin that made her moan wantonly. He flicked his tongue against her clit, sending her reeling. Her clit was still so sensitive to touch that her body jolted every time the tip of his tongue traced over the tiny piece of flesh. It was too much, and yet, at the same time, not nearly enough. She needed more from him.

He slipped those same two fingers into her that had tortured her so exquisitely just minutes ago, and pumped them roughly into her, while his lips locked over her clit, sucking the pearl into his mouth and flicking his tongue against it over and over.

Tiny pearls of perspiration were beading across her forehead and chest as the heat of the day, their eager activities and Embry's unnatural heat, left her too hot to be considered comfortable. Yet, she craved more of Embry's heat.

She clawed against the skin of his strong shoulders, trying desperately to find purchase as her body climbed higher and higher, nearing another precipice of ecstasy.

Embry flicked his tongue against her again, and unexpectedly bit down on her clit, pushing her over the edge with a cry that got stuck in the back of her throat. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she bit down hard on her bottom lip, fingers digging into his silken toffee flesh and thighs squeezing firmly around his head to keep him in place as she trembled through another orgasm. There was no other man who knew how to make her feel like this. Not even Jake. Why she ever doubted what she had with Embry, was beyond her. He was the _only_ one for her.

When Bella's body finally relaxed into satiated uselessness, Embry lifted himself up and hovered over her. His eyes were dark and hooded still, and he licked his lips before he lowered them to her own, capturing them in a searing kiss. She could taste herself on him, and it turned her on yet again. She simply couldn't get enough of him, no matter what he did to her body. She'd willingly take whatever he gave her.

Bella gasped when she felt his thick, very, very hard cock glide over her slick and swollen slit, not expecting to feel him there. She knew where this was heading. Any idiot would, but still, she was surprised that he was actually going to go through with this. She arched her body up to him, and felt the tip of his cock at her entrance. She was panting in anticipation, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. This would be the first time in this reality that they were going to have sex, and she was desperate for it. Frantic. She wanted to feel the familiar burning as he stretched her open to accommodate all of him. She wanted him to pound himself deeply into her, like only he knew how. She missed it so fucking much. She missed everything they had together in their life, and she wanted nothing more than to have him to herself again. She wanted to go back to the life where they only belonged to each other. A life where they didn't have to be weary of what others thought of them, or sneak around just so they could see each other. She wanted to be the Bella that Embry loved with all his heart. The Bella he could ravage without any guilt or hesitation.

Embry groaned against her lips and bucked his hips, parting her folds as he pushed the tip of his cock into her with torturous slowness. It felt so good. It was like she was experiencing it for the first time, all over again.

And then Embry suddenly stiffened and sighed harshly, before pulling out of her.

"What's wrong?" She complained, feeling cold at the loss of his touch.

He reached down to pick his pants up off the floor, pulled them on and fastened the button, before he finally looked at her again. "I'm sorry, Bella. This has gone way further than it should have. And you know that too," He shook his head. "I should have known better than to let things go as far as it did."

"Why do you keep saying things like this?" She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and stared at him in shock. She had been so sure that he was enjoying himself as well. "You know Jake and I aren't together anymore," She pointed out. "I mean, for god sake, he slept with another woman. It's clearly over between us."

"Don't you get it Bella?" He raked his hand through his hair in an attempt to tame it. "We're no better than him right now. And you wanna know why?" He asked.

When Bella didn't answer, he continued. "Because you are still _married_ to him!"

The words were on Bella's tongue. She so desperately wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to tell him that _he_ was her husband. Only him. That she wanted no one else but him. She wanted to tell him about the fucked-up situation she was enduring and how she just wanted to go back to her normal life. But she couldn't. Not until he told her he loved her.

Bella still didn't answer. She was at a loss for words. There was nothing that she could say that would convince him that they could do whatever the hell the felt like doing.

"I like you, Bella," His tone softened as he sat down next to her, placing a hand on her thigh. "Very much. But Jake is my best friend. And you are _married_ to my best friend. We are fooling around like two idiots, without any regard for him. And yes, as guilty as he is for doing what he did, it still doesn't make it right for us to continue like this. Jake didn't betray me. Which makes me a piece of shit for doing this to him. And I know I keep saying this, but I really think it would be better to stay away from each other. For real, this time."

"I don't get it," She moved away from him and wrapped her arms around herself, scowling at the floor. "One minute you're totally into what we're doing. And the next, you're against it. Do you have any idea how fucking frustrating it is? You can't keep messing with me like this."

"I know, Bells. And I'm sorry," He apologized in earnest, and sighed into his hands. "That's why I promise to keep my distance from now on. We can be friends, but that's it. No more spending time alone together, because it's quite apparent that we can't seem to behave like grown-ups."

Embry pulled his shirt over his head, while Bella scrambled to find her own clothes. She was feeling incredibly naked and embarrassed in front of him right now, and she hated it.

"Bye Bella," He said with such a frigid finality that it made tears spring to her eyes, and turned away from her, heading for the door. "I'm really sorry for all of this," He apologized yet again, but didn't look at her as he spoke the words and disappeared out the front door.

 **A/N: And? What did you think? Are you mad at Embry for his hot and cold behavior at all? Or just a little frustrated?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm not even gonna attempt to apologize anymore for taking so long to update. This chapter is so much longer than I had initially thought, but there were so many things that had to happen in this chapter, that I just couldn't stop writing. I sincerely hope I did it justice. I didn't want to split the chapter, so hopefully this makes up for the long wait. To those who helped with ideas (you know who you are), thank you. I struggled a lot to decide where I wanted to direct the story with this chapter, so hopefully you aren't too disappointed. And a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. This chapter is going to be mostly drama, and little to zero fluff. But it needed to happen at some point.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 11: Unexpected company**

 **EPOV:**

"Fuck!" Embry cursed and slammed his hands on the steering wheel of his truck. He has been sitting in front of his house for almost an hour, contemplating going back to Bella and just telling her how he really felt. He was _slowly_ falling for her, and he had always thought falling in love would be the best feeling in the world. At least, that's how his friends had described it. He thought he'd be happy about it, but _this_...? This was fucking torture. Maybe it was because he knew she was Jake's. She wasn't free for him to love.

But what good would it do to go back to her now? What would he say to her?

The reality of it all was that if he and Bella entered into a relationship, it would be one that had to be kept a secret. Nobody knew of Jake's indiscretions, and revealing to everyone that he and Bella were together, would lead to a lot of judgement. Judgment that could kill their fledgling relationship before it even started. No one would understand. And he didn't want a relationship where he had to sneak around. If it were up to him, he'd want their relationship out in the open. He'd want everyone to know, to see, how happy they were together.

Why did he have to go and develop feelings for his best friend's wife, of all people? Someone who could never be his. Why couldn't he rather have fallen in love with one of the many girls he's had sex with over the years? It would have been a hell of a lot easier than what he was going through right now. No complications.

The image of Bella's face, right there on Leah's couch, still haunted him as he thought back to what had happened. His gut twisted painfully. He hated that he had hurt her once again, but it was for the best. This thing between them had gone way further than he had intended, but he simply hadn't been able to help himself. He was drawn to her like a moth to a flame, and for some reason his wolf had tried to tear his insides apart to get to her. He, the man, wanted her just as much, but the only difference between him and his wolf was that the wolf didn't care about marriage or doing the right thing. The wolf only acted on instinct - it had no conscience. It was _that_ instinct that had almost let him have his way with Bella on her best friend's couch. And god knows, he had wanted her too. So badly. He had wanted to make Bella his. Not just for the night, like he did when he had sex with other women, but for forever. He had wanted to worship her body. Claim it. Devour it. He wanted every fucking piece of her that he could get his hands on, knowing that she was only his. But she wasn't his. _She was Jacob's._ And he didn't have the heart to betray him.

How could he go behind his best friend's back and have sex with his wife? Not after the many, many years that they've been friends. They were practically brothers. The sad reality was that he had come so close to betraying him tonight. In a way, he had _already_ betrayed his friend, and for that he felt very guilty, but had he not stopped himself earlier, it would have been so much worse. It would have been an epic betrayal. But what about Jake's betrayal of Bella? Didn't that also count for something? Didn't that make Bella free for the taking?

Everything was a mess right now, and the only thing he wanted to do tonight, was run. Run as far as he could, until his body was so physically exhausted, that his mind simply had no choice but to follow and submit to sleep. Because, if he went to bed now, he knew he'd lie awake for the rest of the night, going over this fucked up situation that he was caught up in. He'd keep replaying the situation over and over in his mind to try and find a way to make everyone happy. He'd probably lie awake, trying to justify his actions, his feelings, though he knew it would do him no good.

If he was in fact going to run tonight, he'd have to be careful that none of the pack members were in wolf form. His thoughts were a mess right now, but the one constant was Bella. She was front and center in his mind right now, images flashing vividly through his brain like a slide show. The look on her face when she realized his intentions tonight. The way her lips parted in a gasp when he touched her e _verywhere._ Tasted her. Kissed her. They way her brow puckered and and her body arched every time he had brought her to orgasm. He could still hear the sexy sounds she made as he pleasured her, and just the thought alone made his dick hard again. He was such a fucked up son of a bitch. _Everything_ about this was fucked up. Maybe this was the consequence for not speaking up years ago when he'd wanted to, instead letting his best friend have her. This was his 'reward' for trying to be the better person. For giving her up.

So for right now, there was only one thing to do. He was going to phone Paul and ask if he could take over his patrols, and use the alone time to get his shit together. Formulate a plan to get Bella out of his mind. Push her away somehow.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella woke up with a massive headache and puffy eyes. She had literally cried herself to sleep last night - a first for her. She had always thought crying yourself to sleep was just a saying girls used because they felt sorry for themselves. Wouldn't the tears dry up at some point? But now she finally understood the amount of heartache involved - how it was really possible to have such an unlimited supply of tears that you were so physically exhausted from all the crying, that you fell asleep with that raw ache still throbbing painfully in your chest.

Embry kept sending mixed signals, and at this point, she wasn't sure what to think about what happened last night. She had longed for him to touch her like he did. Kiss her so passionately. In fact, she had missed everything they shared, so much, that last night had been the highlight of this past week. Up until Embry pushed her away. She had wondered if maybe he just wanted to have sex with her, like all the other girls he's taken to bed before. But he'd had the perfect opportunity last night. She had acted like a little harlot, all hot and desperate for his touch, spreading her legs all too easily for him. He honestly could have taken just what he wanted. And he had seemed willing at first, too - one buck of his hips and he would have been sheathed deeply inside of her. But then he stopped all of a sudden. _And walked away._ So it wasn't about having sex with her. It wasn't about her being just another notch on his belt. But what was it, then? What did he want from her?

Never in her life had she felt so naked and ashamed than she had in that moment when he promised her that he would stay away from her this time. For real. After he had walked away from her, she had felt like all of the attraction and desire had been a one-sided thing. All the fire that had coursed through her body at two hundred miles an hour, lighting up every neuron like the fourth of July, had been a product of her terrible longing for him to physically touch her. But was it possible that he had experienced none of those sensations for himself, at all? Since she and Embry had started dating years ago, he had been painfully patient with her, never pushing her. He had been careful with her. Gentle at first. But once they had both given in to their baser desires, Bella had seen what a passionate man Embry really was. His sometimes stoic expression did a great job of hiding his true nature. His ability to love so fiercely - as fiercely as he loved her all these years. To be passionate. And she knew what he was capable of. But did _this_ Embry feel the same kind of passion for her when he looked at her, or touched her?

Was she going insane? Did he really not want her? Perhaps she had misread the signals. She thought she knew Embry like the back of her hand. Knew every look, every touch, every micro expression. He had touched so carefully, yet so confidently, that she could practically sense his desire. He had tasted her so hungrily and eagerly, that he had made her body explode with wave after wave of ecstasy. And now, she simply couldn't match up his words with his deeds.

Bella sighed in acute frustration as she crossed the kitchen, yanked open the refrigerator door and fished out one of Leah's cans of Monster. She was sure Leah wouldn't mind, and coffee wouldn't be enough to get her through the day. If she showed up at the bookstore looking like all kinds of crap, her friend would know something was up. And she wasn't ready to talk about it just yet. She was still processing all of last nights events for herself, anyway.

She popped open the can of instant energy and brought it up to her lips, inhaling the sweet smell of the carbonated drink. The bubbles tickled her nose as she drank deeply from the can while shuffling onward to the bathroom, some of the tart drink dribbling down her chin as she went. She wiped her chin in irritation, and placed the can next to the bathroom sink, leaning closer to the mirror to inspect the damage last night had caused.

Dark circles underlined her usually bright chocolate eyes. Now, they looked dull and lifeless. Her hair was a tangled mess, sticking to the sides of her face where it had dried with the tears she'd cried last night, and her lips were chapped. All in all, she looked horrendous at best. She desperately needed to wash her face to get the mascara streaks off her cheeks, and apply a good amount of make-up to hide the monstrosity that was her face. She touched the wreckage that was her hair and grimaced - she'd have to pray for a miracle to tame her hair.

In the end, she decided that a shower would be the best solution to her problem, and as she stood under the hot spray of the shower, steam fogging up the glass doors, she slowly felt the tension in her shoulders wash away with the water, swirling around the drain, before disappearing into nothingness.

While applying foundation, she got lost in thought again, wondering if she was ever going to get Embry to fall in love with her. Things were going a little south for them, and she honestly hadn't taken his conscience into account when she had pictured how the whole scenario would unfold. That was a mistake on her part, though, because she knew that Embry was a good man. He always tried to do the right thing. She had learned this in the many years they had been together. So, maybe thinking that she would actually accomplish what she had thought would be a relatively easy task, was really just failure waiting to happen.

Bella scoffed at herself for her naivety, and instead, focused on her handiwork in the mirror. Her make-up was a little more bold than usual, but still didn't look tacky. She looked decent enough to fool even the fiercely astute Leah Clearwater, and for that she was grateful. She brushed out her wet hair, twirled it into a bun on top of her head, clipping it together with a pretty hair clip. The girl staring back at her in the mirror didn't look like someone who had cried for half the night. She looked like she was ready for a party, or a fancy dinner. No one would be any the wiser as to the turmoil astir inside of her.

 _Perfect!_

* * *

"Hey!" Leah looked up from the register where she was busy with a customer. "What brings you here?" Leah had a rosy glow to her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled like perfectly cut diamonds. She was in love without a doubt. Bella knew that look all too well.

"I was just swinging by to see how you were coping." Bella said, heading over to the counter. She bent down and stuffed her purse into a small cupboard where they usually left their personal belongings.

Leah rolled her eyes. "I told you I'd be fine," She gestured to the store full of customers, all happily browsing for books. She actually did seem like she had it under control. She smiled at the customer in front of her, handed him his large bag of purchases and a complimentary bookmark. "Have a good day, sir."

"How did last night go?" Bella asked as she leaned back against the counter, scanning the floor. "Did you guys have fun?" It was an attempt at keeping the conversation from steering toward Embry and her, but she was also very curious to find out what happened between Quil and Leah. Had she finally given in to all his wooing?

Leah shrugged and pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to play it cool, but the smile that was quickly growing, told Bella all she needed to know. "It went well." She gave a short, cryptic answer. _Typical Leah._

"Did you tell him how you feel?" Bella wondered, knowing that her friend could be a little emotionally challenged at times where men were concerned. It was time that Leah started opening up to Quil about her feelings. She needed to stop pushing him away just because she was scared that he would break her heart. That was simply a risk that was required in all relationships. No one was ever guaranteed anything.

Leah nodded, clamping her lips together in an obvious attempt to stop herself form grinning. "Yeah," She nodded, fidgeting with a pen that was lying next to the cash register, inspecting it like it held all of the answers to life. It was the strangest thing to see Leah act so shy. "I told him."

"And?" Bella pushed for more, grabbing the pen from Leah to force her to focus.

"And we're officially in a relationship now." She finally looked Bella in the eye, awarding her with a bright, full-on smile, not trying to hide her glee this time.

"I'm really happy for you guys," Bella said - she really meant it. She pulled Leah in for a hug, squeezing her hard, while suppressing the ache she felt inside because of last night's events. "Both of you deserve this."

"Thanks," Leah beamed. "I honestly never pictured him being the one I would fall in love with. It's insane, really, because the way I feel about him..." Leah sighed emphatically. "It's all so much. I don't even know how to describe the way I feel." She snorted at herself. "It's a little overwhelming."

Bella nodded silently. She knew exactly what Leah meant. It was that 'everything is brighter and everything tastes better' feeling. That constant rush of butterflies in your stomach when you see him. It's that pang of longing in your gut when you're not with him, and that warm, fuzzy contentment when you finally are. It's the best and the scariest feeling in the world, all at the same time. _She knew it all too well_ , because that was how she still felt about Embry.

After eleven, Bella disappeared into the break room to get them something to drink. There was finally a lull in the flow of customers - a few were lounging out in the reading corner, deeply emerged in their book of choice, while a handful were casually browsing the isles for something that would peak their interest.

When she returned, Leah was leaning on the counter, busy texting someone. Probably Quil, since she was blushing like a school girl.

"It's exciting for me to experience you like this, you know?" Bella placed Leah's ice tea in front of her and scooted in next to her, nudging her with a shoulder. "It's good to see you so happy."

Leah stowed her phone in the back pocket of her ripped jeans and grabbed her glass, taking a small sip. She frowned, brows dipping low over her eyes, like she was contemplating something. "Hey, so how was your night with _Embry?_ " She emphasized his name. "I totally forgot to ask."

Bella's expression darkened, though she tried to keep it neutral. She had honestly hoped Leah wouldn't ask about it at all. And she had thought she was in the clear, until now. She plastered the best smile she could manage onto her face, and boldly stared back at Leah. Any sign of weakness would be a dead give away to her friend. "It went well," She shrugged. "We watched a movie and had popcorn."

But apparently Leah was even better at sniffing out bullshit than Bella had realized, because she crossed her arms over her chest and raised a severe brow, pursing her lips at Bella's blatant lie. "Why don't you start by telling the truth," She said coolly. "Because I know you're lying to me."

A customer walked up to them, turning a book around in her hand, while chatting to someone on the phone. She placed the book on the counter and fished a few bucks out of her clutch. This was her chance to get out of this conversation. They couldn't very well talk about what happened in front of a customer. But Leah didn't mind, apparently, urging her to continue.

Bella sighed and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. There was obviously no skirting the issue, it seemed. Not when Leah was on a quest to interrogate her. "Well," She bit her lip and sighed into her hands. "I don't know what happened, but we were watching a movie - no funny business, I swear. He was happily wolfing down the popcorn I had made, apparently quite into the movie, and then all of a sudden he turned to look at me, and he had this hungry look in his eyes," Bella glanced at the woman Leah was helping. She didn't seem to pay any attention to what was being said, apparently too emerged in her own conversation with whoever was on the other end of the phone. "You know the one I mean," She said, giving Leah a knowing look. "And then he kissed me."

"And?" Leah challenged. "You're face tells me the story doesn't have a happy ending, so by all means, continue." She gestured while she put the customer's purchase into a paper bag.

Bella scoffed. Her friend was right. It didn't have a happy ending. "Things got a little heated," She explained, trying to fight the blush that threatened to consume her cheeks. "He pulled me onto his lap, and we got a tad frisky. And before I knew what was happening, he had me pushed down into the couch, dipping his fingers into my honey pot." Again, she made sure the customer wasn't listening in. "And we both enjoyed it very much. At least, that's what it had seemed like at the time."

"Thank you so much. Please come again." Leah interrupted Bella, smiling brightly as she handed the woman her purchase and change, sending her on her merry way.

"And I bet he decided to taste some of that honey as well, didn't he?" She turned to face Bella, a naughty glint in her eye and a sinful, lopsided smirk on her pretty face.

"How the hell do you know that?" Bella blushed bright red, this time not able to hold back the blood from pooling in her pale cheeks.

"It's a wolf thing," She explained easily, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I know for a fact that they can't resist our honey." She said, her face serious for a second. "In fact, they go crazy for it. I swear they'd spread you open anywhere they could, and push their nose into your 'honey pot' - I like that word," Leah grinned, using Bella's innuendo from earlier. "Just to get a whiff of your scent."

Bella groaned. "You're making them sound like horny Winnie the Pooh's."

"Oh, my dear Bella," Leah chuckled darkly. "They're so, _so_ much worse." They looked up as the familiar jingling of the bell at the door signaled another customer coming in, and continued once the girl headed for the romance section. "So what went wrong?"

"I don't know." Bella shrugged, wishing she had an answer for Leah. For herself. "We were so close to having sex," Bella said and picked at a hangnail on her thumb. "He was practically inside me, and then all of a sudden, he just stopped." She brought her thumb to her lips and bit off the irritating piece of skin. "And once again, he hammered on the fact that what we were doing was wrong, and then he promised to stay away from me this time." Bella blew out an frustrated breath. "And then he just left. And all I wanted to do was tell him the truth. I wanted to make him understand what was really going on. But it's pretty clear that he's not really interested. I don't know what to make of this."

"What's clear is that he _does_ want you, Bella." Leah insisted. "Why else would he have kissed you? _Everywhere_." She chuckled at her own little joke, trying to make light of the situation. "You know Embry has a good heart. He always tries to do the right thing. And right now, I think he's in the fight of his life trying to be that good guy that we all know and love, instead of giving in to his feelings for you."

"I guess I just didn't take that into account when all of this started out. I thought it was going to be easy."

"When is anything worth while ever easy?" Leah asked her. And Bella begrudgingly had to admit that her friend had a point.

* * *

Bella arrived at the beach with Quil and Leah, clutching her beach bag over her shoulder while she tried to calm her nerves. Both Jake and Embry were going to be here today, and she didn't know what to expect from either of them.

Jake would either be an ass to her, or really sweet, depending on his strategy. She wasn't sure if anyone other than Quil, Leah and Embry knew about what happened with Jake and Erin. Did he even know that they knew about it? She had no idea if they had confronted him about it. She wasn't that big of a bitch that she'd rat Jake out in front of everyone, today. Besides, that would make it too easy on him. She wanted him to be the one to tell his brothers what he did. She'd soon find out if they were going to pretend that everything in 'marriage land' was still peachy, but if that were the case, she wasn't going to play her role too well. She'd try to be convincing enough that nobody would suspect they weren't together anymore, but anything more than that wasn't going to happen. And if by some miracle he did tell the others, she'd be free to do what she wanted for the rest of the day. For the rest of her life.

 _And then there was Embry._

First of all, she felt embarrassed by last night's events, unsure if she'd have the ability to look him in the eye when he did arrive. As the day had moved on and she had started to recover (somewhat) from her lack of sleep, things had started to blur just like dreams had the tendency of doing. Right after you woke up, the dream was still vivid in your mind, and as the seconds ticked by, it slowly started to fade around the edges, until you couldn't keep holding onto it anymore. She was suddenly doubting everything. Every detail. Was there something that she did to involuntarily arouse Embry? Did she initiate the kiss and everything else that followed? Had she subtly forced herself on Embry, and he had just felt too bad to stop her, until things had really gone too far?

Secondly, she didn't know what to expect from Embry. He had promised her that he'd stay away from her a few times before, breaking that promise at every turn. But this time she was almost certain that it would be different. There had been an edge of finality to his words last night, that had cut her to the bone. Unwelcome feelings of devastation and fear had kept her up for most of the night, haunting her relentlessly even as she slept. Bella shivered at the thought. She hated feeling like this.

They headed over to Emily, trudging through the sand to where she was preparing a large fold-up table with a ridiculous amount of snacks, steering Bella's mind into a totally different direction.

How did Emily still have the energy to stand on her two heavily swollen feet all day to prepare food for everyone? Her belly was so large that it pushed against the edge of the table as she arranged the various snacks. There were muffins, of course, and an assortment of savory snacks like pigs in a blanket, pizza wheels and cheese puffs. To the left of the table there were sweeter snacks. And in its entirety, the amount of effort Emily had put into this, left Bella gaping in awe. She felt a little embarrassed that she had been too caught up in her own drama, that she hadn't thought of calling her up to ask if she could help with anything.

"You are crazy!" Bella greeted Emily by slipping an arm around her waist, pulling her in for a sideways hug. "You know that, right?"

Emily chuckled, tucked a curtain of shiny dark hair behind her ear and nodded. "Sam said the same thing to me earlier. He says I need to take it easy, but I'm getting anxious for the baby to come, and I need something to keep me busy. Distractions are the only things keeping me sane right now."

"You're amazing," She praised her friend. "You need to tell me where all this energy is coming from. I feel really bad that I didn't think to ask if I could help with anything."

"Nonsense, Bella." She waved it away and brought an arm to her lower back, rubbing it briefly. "I know you've got your own stuff to take care of," Bella almost thought Emily knew about the whole 'Jake thing', until she continued. "It's a busy time of year at the bookstore."

"Yeah, it is," She agreed. "But still, I could have asked."

Emily squeezed Bella's shoulder gently and waved her concerns away, turning to face Leah and Quil. She smiled brilliantly at the sight of them holding hands. "Can't say I'm surprised to see the two of you together. I always thought you'd make a beautiful couple," Her eyes crinkled in endearment as she spoke. "I just reckoned that you needed time to realize it for yourselves."

"It wasn't easy to win this one's affection, I'll tell you that." Quil jerked his chin toward Leah, grinning like he'd won the lottery. "She sure knows how to put up a good fight." He explained, pulling Emily into a careful embrace and kissing her on the cheek.

"I'll bet," She agreed. "My cousin has always been a stubborn one."

"Are you done talking about me like I'm not here?" Leah huffed playfully, pretending to scowl at them. She took her turn to hug Emily, rubbing her cousin's back affectionately, before setting her free again. To Bella, they looked more like sisters than cousins. The amount of love they held for one another was almost palpable.

"It's just good to see you smiling," Emily held Leah at arms length as if to get a better look at her. "You deserve to be happy."

Bella was still talking to Quil and Leah a short while later, when they both looked up at something behind her, stiffening all of a sudden. Quil's face looked tense, while Leah wore an expression of shock at whatever was going on behind Bella's back. Literally. Despite her better judgement, she looked over her shoulder to see what was going on. And she suddenly wished she hadn't. Her stomach twisted painfully at the sight of Embry walking toward them, a beautiful, busty blonde on his arm.

"Hey, guys," Embry greeted them and gestured to his date. "Just wanted to come and introduce my date to you." Embry didn't meet Bella's eye, and she, herself, couldn't care to look at the girl as he spoke. She couldn't hear a single word he was saying. She could only see the movements of his lips, while a sudden, profound urge to pull in on herself, overrode any and all of her brain functions. Her stomach clenched painfully and her heart slammed violently against her ribs. It was only when Leah touched her shoulder, that she realized the burning in her chest was because she had forgotten to breathe.

Embry and the girl (she had missed her name), silently stood waiting for her response, the tension around them so thick that you could practically cut it with a knife. With the last bit of strength Bella could muster, she pulled in a deep, uneven breath, cleared her throat, and made an attempt at a smile. Any idiot with a brain would be able to see through her shaky facade. "Nice to meet you," She lied easily, but her voice sounded raw to her own ears, and she flinched at the sound. Embry still refused to meet her eye, and she desperately wanted to grab his chin and tilt his head up, so she could look into his eyes and read what was really going on in that head of his.

"Here you all are," Jake interrupted the awkward meet and greet with a bright, toothy smile that reminded her so much of the sweet, innocent boy he had been not so long ago. Apparently he was oblivious to what was going on as he casually strolled up to them, snaking his arm around Bella's waist without any hesitation, like their marriage wasn't on the rocks. He pulled her tightly into his side and kissed the top of her head. And there was her answer - they were still pretending to be happy in front of their friends. But even though she hated that he was touching her and kissing her, she had to admit that right now, she couldn't care less. She was simply grateful for his perfect timing, and for the distraction his touch offered. Even if it was only to see the look of complete shock on Embry's face. Deep inside, she felt a tinge of smugness at his reaction, biting her lip in an attempt not to laugh as he stared at Jake and her with slack-jawed outrage. The fact that she was allowing Jacob to touch her, was obviously not sitting well with him. Shock and outrage turned to fury in less than a second as he closed his mouth, the muscles in his tightly clenched jaws ticking dangerously.

"Hi," Embry forced out a frigid greeting between clenched teeth, eyes flashing with murderous intensity as he eyed his best friend up and down, before begrudgingly remembering his manners and gesturing toward his date without looking at her this time. Bella managed to catch the blonde's name the second time around as Embry introduced her to Jake as well. "This is Elizabeth."

Bella watched the girl carefully as she greeted Jake with the shake of a perfectly manicured hand. She didn't look much younger than Embry, and she was so flawless that it made Bella's gut burn with rage and jealousy, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The pale, perky tits that peaked out from the pink, low cut top Elizabeth was wearing, made Bella want to roll her eyes. So fucking typical. Men and big tits - she'd never understand the fascination. The girl's icy blue eyes were soft enough to still allow a sense of warmth, despite the troublesome look that had now taken up residence in them as she, too, sensed the stiff exchange between the two men. Bella's eyes followed the girl's silky hair from the top of her head, to where it barely grazed her elbows. Not one hair on her platinum blonde head was out of place. But what really bothered her more than any of her perfect physical attributes, was that this girl didn't seem overly sweet or fake. She was just really nice. And that sucked. She could see how Embry would prefer Elizabeth. Not just for the looks, but because she was a sweet, down-to-earth girl with no complications. No ex husband. No baggage. Zero drama.

* * *

"I can't compete with that," Bella said to Leah a while later, as she spread her towel out over the sand, smoothing out the edges. She pushed up from her knees, gripped the edges of her white sun dress and pulled it over her head. She adjusted the strapless coral bikini top, tied her hair up into a bun on top of her head, and lay back down on the towel, ready to soak up some sun despite her sour mood.

"I don't think you have to," Leah said casually, following Bella's example and stretching out on her own towel as well.

"What do you mean?" She turned to Leah, finding it hard to gauge her expression through the sunglasses obscuring her eyes.

"What I mean is," She said in a whisper, "That boy hasn't been able to keep his eyes off you since he arrived with blondie over there," She jerked her chin to their left, where the guys were all playing football, and Bella's eyes automatically flicked up to look at Embry. And sure enough, just like Leah said, he was watching her as he absently turned the football around and around in his hand, bracing himself against the onslaught of 'well done's' and celebratory man-hugs from his friends for having scored a touch down, instead of looking at his 'girlfriend' who was sitting in the shade next to Emily, heartily cheering for him. The look on Embry's face was indiscernible as their gazes locked for a second, before he hastily looked away to focus back on the game. What was going on with him? And why was he looking at her, instead of at his date? She could have sworn she saw anger flash in his eyes for the briefest moment, just before he looked away. But why would he be angry with her? She'd done nothing wrong. Unless this was about Jake's and her earlier 'warm' but very fake exchange.

"I don't get it," Bella sighed harshly and lay back down, "He's the one who keeps pushing me away. So what's his fucking deal?"

"I thought we've been over this, Bella," Leah murmured, "He's trying to do the right thing."

"I still don't understand. If he's interested in me, why did he bring big boobs McGee along?"

"Christ almighty," Leah complained and turned to Bella. "Are you really this daft?"

"I'll try not to take offence," Bella clucked her tongue indignantly.

Leah shrugged off the fact that she had obviously pissed Bella off, and pushed herself up onto one arm, tipped her sunglasses up to her head with the tip of her finger, and boldly looked Bella in the eye, "He's trying to make you jealous. It's so fucking obvious."

"I disagree," Bella shook her head vehemently. "I think he's trying to make it clear that he's going to keep his word this time. He's trying to push me away for good."

"Mind if I join you guys?" Jake interrupted their private conversation, sitting down next to Bella without waiting for an answer, not at all looking like he'd just played a rough game of football with the guys. They were so lucky to be wolves. If she'd been playing, she'd be red in the face, huffing and puffing in a very unladylike manner from the effort of successfully trying to play any kind of sport with even a fraction of coordination.

"Only if you're not too partial to your balls." Leah sniped, trying to get Jake to go away.

"I'll take my chances." He shrugged off her comment, instead focusing on Bella. If Jake had been unsure at all if Leah knew about what he had done, he had no doubt now. Leah and Jake had always gotten along very well, until now.

"What do you want, Jake?" Bella asked, lying back down on the towel in an attempt to ignore him. She didn't have to pretend in front of Leah.

"I want you to come home," He said, gently tilting her face toward him with a careful finger, ghosting the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. "I miss you."

"You and I both know that's not going to happen." She stated very clearly. She wanted him to have no doubt as to where they stood with each other. He had to realize that they weren't going to get back together, no matter how many times he apologized or grovelled at her feet.

"Why?" He frowned, a flicker of sadness in his chestnut eyes. He seemed surprised by her answer, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand how he could ask her such a stupid question. He knew exactly why.

"Because you chose to stick your dick into another woman," Bella whispered harshly, sitting up again and crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. "That's why. What did you think was going to happen? Did you think I was going to cry a little, be mad at you for a few days, and then simply forgive you for this?" She questioned him. "Or was me finding out about this not part of your plan?" She cocked her head to the side and arched a severe brow. "Did you think you could fuck that woman once or twice, until you got your fill of her, and then jump in to bed with me like nothing ever happened?"

Leah barked a laugh from next to her. "Probably the latter." She put in her two-cents worth, sneering at Jake.

"But I already apologized for that, Bells. And I'm begging you to forgive me." He looked so solemn, that Bella wasn't sure if he was playing her. Not that it mattered. They've reached the end of the line in their marriage. And if Bella was being honest, it suited her perfectly. She was using this as her excuse to get away from Jake. It didn't mean he didn't hurt her. Jake had no idea what was really going on in her life, in her mind. So, the fact that he'd cheated on her, shouldn't carry any less weight as far as he knew.

* * *

Jake remained close to Bella for the rest of the day, and after helping Sam start the bonfire, he took his place next to her again, but refrained from touching her like he had, earlier. She supposed he got the message. They were done.

The crackle and pop of the fire calmed Bella's frayed nerves. She had been on edge ever since she woke up this morning, fiercely fighting her way through this perpetual nightmare of a day. But now, for the first time today, she was slowly relaxing. Nothing between Embry and her had really been resolved. Quite the opposite, in fact, but still, the twinkling stars splashed haphazardly against the indigo skies, the crashing of the waves in the background, muted only marginally by the easy conversation and laughter shared between her friends, the salty breeze and the coarse sand between her toes, were enough to give her a sense of inner peace. It was nights like tonight that reminded her of the good old days where everything was a hell of a lot less complicated. A time where she was exactly where she wanted to be in her life. A time where everything between Embry and her had been good. Easy. A time where every one in the pack were on good terms with each other. She missed those days dearly.

Bella pushed up from where she had been sitting on the log, Leah and Quil to her left. "I'll be back in a minute," She explained when Leah raised a brow in question. "I just need to go to the toilet." She ignored Jake as he looked up at her. He didn't need to know where she was going.

She made her way through the thick sand toward the little face brick building, where the light flickered in the darkness as tiny insects and moths gathered in its glow. It was quiet here. She could hear the night life rustling through the underbrush of the forest not fifteen feet away from her, and the crickets chirping their night song in the dark. She loved it here. There was no place like it. In the distance, she could hear the laughter of her friends. Someone, it sounded a lot like Quil's boisterous baritone, was busy telling a joke that she couldn't hear, and she chuckled to herself. It was probably one of his usual dirty jokes. A large, warm hand caught her arm, making her gasp in shock. She had been so immersed in the quiet nightlife surrounding her, that she hadn't heard anyone follow her. She looked from the toffee hand up to it's owner, finding a disconcerted Embry staring down at her.

"So you're back with Jake now, are you?" Embry's voice whispered harshly as he cornered her on her way to the bathroom, pulling her into the dimly lit nook near the entrance to the 'ladies'.

Bella roughly yanked her arm out of Embry's grip, narrowing her eyes as she fixed him with a death glare. "You have some nerve, you know!" She pointed a finger at him and took a step toward him. "How dare you ask me that?"

Embry's jaw was tight and his brows were fixed low over his eyes in a scowl as he contemplated her words. For a moment, he stood tall in front of her, chest heaving in apparent irritation, without saying a word. "It just seems strange to me that you'd forgive him so easily after what he did to you." He said finally, words coming out in a low whisper. "Especially after what happened between us last night."

Bella stared at Embry in slack-jawed awe, wondering how he had the cheek to bring up last night, when not even twenty-four hours after said 'event', he chose to bring a date along to the beach party. But two could play this game, and she was not backing down. "Oh, so you do remember what happened last night?" She mocked him. "Because I had almost convinced myself that it must have been a dream, since you seemed to have moved on from _that_ quite quickly. Must not have been all that memorable for you. Guess you're used to much better."

Embry's eyes widened at her words, looking very taken aback by her sudden harshness. "Don't be like this, Bella. Please? Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

Bella laughed mirthlessly, hands trembling at her sides. "That reminds me," She took another two careful steps toward him, stopping as she stood almost flush against him now. Her chest heaved in outrage, hands trembling at her sides. "If I recall correctly, you promised you'd stay away from me, didn't you? And yet, here we are again."

"I'm just trying to make sure that you don't do anything stupid," He gritted out between clenched teeth. "Like giving Jake a second chance after what he did to you."

"As of last night, that doesn't concern you anymore." She pointed out, boldly looking him in the eye and squaring her shoulders. He flinced at her words, and somehow, she got the idea that she had just hurt him. She continued on, though, not perturbed by his feelings. A maleficent urge gripped her heart, compelling her to hurt him just as much as he had hurt her. He was the one who had started this, but by god, she was going to end this mess, even if it didn't end like she wanted it to. These mixed signals were driving her insane. She wanted to know where she stood with him, even if it meant being without him. "And I must congratulate you on your resourcefulness." She bit out. "You sure do have us girls lined up and ready at your disposal, don't you? When you're done with one, you effortlessly move on to the next one." Embry raised his brows in shock, forehead crinkling. But still, she continued. "Me last night, Elizabeth today." He watched with stormy eyes as she took one last dig at him. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I knew you had a reputation. I'm just getting major whiplash, that's all."

Embry turned away from her, sighing harshly as he raked his hand through his shaggy hair. His strong, broad shoulders were stiff and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. She knew she had succeeded in pissing him off. That's exactly what she had wanted to do. She wanted him to realize what he was doing. She wanted him to know that he was messing with her, and that she wasn't going to allow it anymore. But why did it hurt so much? She didn't feel as satisfied as she thought she would by making him hurt in return.

"I like Elizabeth." His quiet words slipped from his mouth as he still stood with his back to her, permeating the cool, quiet air around them, making it thick and stifling.

Bella's stomach dropped at those three little words and an involuntary gasped escaped over her parted lips as it knocked the air right out of her, tears traitorously pricking the corners of her eyes. "You're lying." She accused toward his back, desperately hoping she was right. How could he like Elizabeth after less than a day? After what had happened between the two of them last night? Unless... _oh god_...unless he slept with Elizabeth after he left her last night? Unless he's been sleeping with her the whole time, and that was why he's been so conflicted. Perhaps this wasn't just about doing the right thing where Jake was concerned. It was about doing the right thing while he and Elizabeth were together. The idea made bile rise in her throat, and she swallowed it back down with the last bit of strength she possessed. It made her sick. "Tell me you didn't have sex with her? Tell me you're not in love with her?" She practically begged.

He didn't turn around, shoulders heaving as he breathed heavily.

"Tell me!" She dared him, louder this time. "Be a man and tell me you slept with her. That you don't want me at all!" Her voice finally broke, tears so close to spilling that her eyes were burning with the effort of keeping them at bay. Her throat felt thick as she spoke the last words in a whisper. "Tell me that you feel nothing for me."

Slowly, Embry turned to face her, eyes a tempestuous whirlpool of emotion. He looked at her for several seconds, eyes darting rapidly between hers, before he spoke. "I don't want you." He ground out the words between clenched teeth - words she'd hoped he wouldn't say. "You mean nothing to me. Last night meant nothing." He chuckled darkly. "And of course I slept with Elizabeth. That's what I do," He shrugged casually. "Like you said, I have a reputation, and you knew that."

Bella pulled her hand back in shock before she could register what she was doing, and slapped him across the face. The sound of her palm meeting his cheek echoed loudly against the dark red brick walls surrounding them. "You're an asshole, just like Jake." She sneered, trying desperately not to cry in front of him. Her bottom lip trembled as she continued. "But I guess that makes sense. Birds of a feather... _right_?" And with that, she turned away from him, marching hastily through the door to the ladies.

She pushed open the door to one of the stalls with such force that it banged loudly against the wall, making her cringe. She caught the door on it's way back, and stumbled inside, locking herself in. She ignoring the distinct stench of urine and the harsh chemicals that were used to unsuccessfully rid the bathroom of that exact smell, still fighting back the tears. In the privacy of the dimly lit stall, she leaned back against the door, clutching her sides like she's wanted to do since Embry had arrived with _the perfect_ Elizabeth - the woman he was in love with. She no longer had the strength to keep it together, and as the first hot, thick tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek, she realized that it was okay. She could let go now. No one could see her here. She could cry her heart out for as long as she wanted. Her shoulders shook as the first sob tumbled over her lips, followed immediately by more, each increasing in intensity the more she let go. She cried because she was losing Embry for good. Because he chose to love someone else. She cried because she had failed to make him fall in love with her, and now she was going to be stuck in this life, with no Embry and no baby. The thought of losing her husband and unborn child made her cry even harder, clutching her sides with a death grip as she tried to get a handle on the devastating pain tearing at her insides, threatening to rip a hole through her chest. She hoped to god that no one decided to come to the toilets at this very moment. She didn't have the energy to lie her way out of this situation right now. It wasn't the type of thing she could play off as having something in her eye, or chalk up to hay fever.

When she had no more tears left to cry, she straightened up and wiped her tears away, pretending to be a big girl. She opened the door of the stall and shuffled bleary eyed to the basin, to wash her face. The saltiness of her tears had left her sun-kissed cheeks stinging, and her lips felt dry. Under the dim light, her face looked red and blotchy, and she cursed the fact that she didn't have any foundation that she could apply to cover it up. She'd simply have to cool down her face with the water, and get on with it. If she stayed away any longer, someone was bound to come looking for her.

Wading through the thick sand back toward the party, Bella noticed that there was a lack of loud voices and laughter from the large group. She wasn't used to them being so subdued, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in apprehension. Had they started telling the legends yet? Bella narrowed her eyes to see better, but the closer she came, the more apparent it was that something was up.

She slapped a hand over her mouth to silence her gasp of horror at the scene in front of her as her friends came into clear view. Sam had Jake by the throat, where he dangled a few inches from the ground, feet kicking wildly as he struggled to pry his leader's hands from his neck. Jake's face was turning a nasty puce and his eyes were wide in shock. Or fear. Probably both.

At the sound of her approach, every head turned to look at her. Some briefly looked at her with abject horror, and others with sympathy, before hastily focusing back on the scene before them. But it was only her close friends like Leah and Quil, who looked more apologetic than anything else, and for the life of her, she couldn't understand why. What had caused this relaxing evening in front of the fire to unravel so quickly? She caught Embry's eye for less than second, and he shrugged at her, looking unaffected by what was happening, which made her think it had something to do with the fact that Jake had cheated on her.

"What's going on here?" Bella croaked out, her voice still raw from crying. "Sam?" She looked to the pack's alpha for answers, since he was the one with his hand around Jake's throat.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Jake was the one to apologize as Sam let go of him without a word, dropping him to the ground. "I didn't know she was going to be here," Jake said as he rubbed the dark purple ring around his neck while it faded right before her eyes, his voice rough and grating.

"Who?" Bella took a few more steps in Leah's direction, tucking herself into her best friend's embrace where she stood next to Quil.

"Erin is here." Leah spat her explanation, jaw clenched in irritation. She cocked her head directly toward the opposite end of where the two of them were standing, scowling at the person who apparently was the reason for all of this animosity.

"Can everyone stop talking about me like I'm not here?" A woman spoke up, stepping forward, and tossing her red hair over her shoulder.

So this was Erin. It was strange, because she was not what Bella had expected. She wasn't Jake's type at all. As far as she knew, he liked brunettes. But apparently, he liked messing around with red heads - liked playing with fire. This girl, who had the audacity to drop in on a private bonfire, completely uninvited, wasn't as perfect as Bella had imagined. When you find out that your husband cheated on you, you expect the woman to be drop-dead gorgeous. Better looking than you in every way. You expect big tits, perfect hair, flawless skin and intoxicating 'come hither' eyes. She wasn't ugly by any means, no sir, but Bella had expected more. Take Embry for example. He brought Elizabeth, who literally ticked all of the boxes for the qualities Bella had imagined when she had pictured Erin. Qualities that made Bella want to curse out loud. But Erin was short, and small, just like Bella. She had a curvy body, which definitely counted in her favor, and dark green eyes that looked fierce enough to see right through you. A smattering of tiny freckles were dusted over a cute, button nose, but she had thin lips and was even paler than Bella. She looked like the girl next door. Wholesome and vibrant, except when you looked into her eyes. Her eyes made you want to cower and hide away, almost like Leah's did. The only difference between the red head and her best friend was, you could see that Leah was a good person. But Erin...? She looked like trouble...

"You are not welcome here, girl." Old Quil spoke up, surprising everyone. He pushed his glasses up from the bridge of his nose with one of his bony fingers, and focused his attention on Erin. "This is a private party for members of the tribe."

"What about these two then?" She pointed first to Elizabeth, and then to Bella. "They are clearly not part of the tribe."

"Excuse me?" Bella was surprised to hear Emily speak up. "Elizabeth is Embry's girlfriend," She stated firmly, gesturing to Embry, making Bella's stomach heave at the words, "and Bella is Jake's _wife_. They are very much a part of this tribe." Emily waddled up to Erin with surprising confidence, arms planted firmly on her hips, big belly clearly visible. "You are the one who's unwelcome. And you need to leave, please." Typical Emily, still remembering her manners and saying please.

"Since I've had a little piece of Jake too, doesn't that make me part of this tribe as well?" She crossed her arms over her chest and squared her shoulders, trying to intimidate Emily.

"Unfortunately, spreading your legs for one of our friends doesn't make you a part of us," Paul quipped. "It just makes you a slut."

From next to Leah, Bella heard Quil chuckle. If she hadn't been as shocked as she was right now, she'd probably have joined in with the snide remarks, but she guessed that she probably had to speak up at some point, anyway. Her friends couldn't keep standing up for her, while she stood back and cowered behind them. This was her battle to fight.

"If she makes you happy, then you're more than welcome to have her, Jake." Bella addressed Jacob, who was still standing in the middle of this drama, head swiveling back and forth as he tried to keep up with the conversation. Bella ducked out from under Leah's comforting embrace, and took a few steps toward Jake. "We both know that it's over between us. There is obviously no point in pretending anymore. And even though you really hurt me with your actions, I want you to be happy." She looked at her left hand, where her wedding ring was shining brightly in the light of the fire. She twisted the ring and pulled it from her finger, giving it one last look before handing it over to Jake. "I sincerely mean that, Jacob. You're free to be with whomever you want," She looked up at Erin who was staring intensely at Jake's and her exchange. "Even if it is with her." She jerked her chin toward Erin.

Jake looked between her and the red head in question, wearing a grave expression. He chewed on his lip for a minute, as he thought about what to say. When he finally spoke, his words came out in a careful whisper as he gave her his honest opinion. "I'm not sure I know what I want."

Bella smiled sadly at him. "I know, Jake. That's fine. Nobody is forcing you to choose right now. But just make sure you use your freedom to find out what it is that you _really_ want." She sighed and looked at her feet. "I'm just not an option anymore, that's all."

"I really do love you, Bells." He said, tipping her chin up with a finger, forcing her to look at him.

"I know," She nodded. "Just not enough." She loved him too. But not as a lover or a husband. Her heart belonged to Embry, even if he chose someone else. It would always belong to him. "And that's okay," She assured him. "Maybe we were never really meant to be."

"How sweet." Erin sneered from the side, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" It was Leah's turn to speak up. "And why in god's name are you still here? Is it not obvious that you're not welcome here?"

"Excuse me?" Erin asked indignantly and marched determinedly up to Leah, coming to a stop mere inches from her. "Who the hell do you think you're talking to?"

"You!" Leah poked her in the chest, not backing down. "I'm talking to the tramp who slept with my best friend's husband."

Erin was apparently stupid enough to underestimate the pack's bond, because she pulled back her hand, ready to slap Leah. Just before her hand could make contact with Leah's cheek, though, Emily caught the red head's hand in a firm grip. "If you slap my cousin," She gritted out between clenched teeth, eyes wide and threatening like Bella had never seen before. "I swear on Taha Aki that I will drag you out of here by your hair."

"ENOUGH!" Sam roared, making Bella and the rest of the women jump. "Emily, you need to calm down, please. All this fighting isn't good for the baby." His hard mask softened for the briefest moment as he looked at his wife. When he focused his attention on Jake, the stony mask was firmly back in place. "Jacob, get Erin the fuck out of here, now. Before she upsets my wife any more than she already has." He said in a deadly calm voice that could easily be misconstrued as stolid authority to anyone outside of the pack. Anyone who didn't know Sam when he was beyond angry. "She's not welcome here." He said simply, but Bella could hear the command Sam had so subtly weaved into his words.

Erin huffed at Sam's comment, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Jake nodded, obviously no other choice but to follow Sam's orders, though, by the look of embarrassment on Jake's face, he would have followed Sam's order even if it weren't an alpha order. Without missing a beat, Jake trudged easily through the sand toward Erin, gently took her by the arm and whispered something in her ear. She didn't look happy about it, but she followed none the less as Jake steered them away from the party. He stopped for a brief moment, turned around one last time to look at Bella, and grimaced as he spoke. "I'm really sorry about all of this, Bells. I never meant to hurt you."

Bella nodded, smiling sadly at him without answering him. What could she actually say? Nothing was going to make his actions okay, but for the first time, he looked genuinely repentant. He didn't look like a boy who was just saying sorry as a means of getting what he wanted. Tonight, he looked like a man who was saying sorry so genuinely, simply because he wanted to set her free from this mess he had created. He looked like a man who was almost ready to be the leader of a pack. The reality was that she felt a little relieved for the 'easy out' she got. There were no repercussions for her fooling around with Embry, and she was grateful that her own indiscretions had never come to light. She was partly to blame for their marriage going up in flames. Had she been more invested, they would probably have been able to salvage their marriage. But that wasn't what she had wanted. Jake wasn't who she wanted, and for that she wasn't going to feel guilty. Embry had always been her first choice. If she'd just taken the time to realize how much Embry meant to her, and how great their marriage actually was, she wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.

She genuinely hoped that Jake could find someone to make him happy. Someone he could fall crazy in love with. Someone he could love as much as she loved Embry. And if that person was Erin, that would be okay. The girl wasn't the nicest person she had ever come across, but who could blame her? She had been backed into a corner by a tightly knit bunch of people she didn't know from Adam (or only knew in passing from her school days, years ago), determined to make her feel unwelcome. It was only natural for her to react accordingly. So, maybe if given the chance, she'd let them see who she really was. _If_ Jake decided she was the one he wanted.

"Oh my god!" A nervous squeak from Emily brought Bella back from her thoughts. She looked up to find Emily staring at the ground beneath her feet. "I think my water just broke, guys."

And just like that, their bonfire evening was over. A different kind of excitement was in the air, now. Sam and Emily's baby was on the way...

 **A/N: I'm a little scared to hear what you thought of the chapter. *hiding behind the couch* It wasn't an easy chapter to write.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Don't hate me for taking so long to update. For some reason, I had a really hard time with this chapter. I guess it's probably because it's a filler chapter - and I hate filler chapters. But it had to be done. Hope you enjoy. xxx**

 **P.S: Thank you so much for all the great reviews. Sorry if I didn't reply to your review. I did read them though, and it means a lot.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 12 – New arrival**

At five o clock the next morning, Bella woke up to the sound of multiple messages coming through on her phone. She rubbed her eyes and stretched out her arm to grab her phone from the bedside table, narrowing her eyes at the harsh light of the phone screen.

Four messages. All from Sam.

A smile spread across her face and her heart thumped loudly in her chest in anticipation. She instinctively knew these were probably messages to let her know their little one had been born. And she was right.

The first one was a normal text, announcing the birth of Eli Samuel Uley at 04:42, weighing in at an impressive 8 pounds 14 ounces and measuring 21 inches in length. Bella was surprised by the size of the baby, and really impressed that Emily had managed to get through natural birth without any pain meds. If she ever got the chance, would she be strong enough to get through a birth like that as well? She was sure the wolves weren't known to produce small offspring. Even Rachel had mentioned Tyler's birth weight being over eight pounds.

The last three messages were photos of the baby. One of him on the scale, all pink, crying his heart out, and Bella was sure she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Until she saw the next two photos. The second picture was of Sam holding his little baby boy for the first time - he looked so proud, shoulders squared and chest puffed out, that it made Bella's throat thick with emotion. The third picture was of him and Emily together, her holding the baby. Emily was wearing the biggest smile imaginable, cheeks flushed and hair plastered to her forehead, but she had an indescribable glow to her, and somehow, even though there was no difference in her appearance, she looked vastly different to Bella. Maybe it was the fact that she was a mother now. She had something else to live for. _Someone else_ \- a baby that had immediately become more important to her than her own life. They made a beautiful family, and she prayed that she'd get her chance too. _Someday._

Bella swallowed down the lump in her throat while typing out a congratulations to Sam and Emily, saying that they'd come by the hospital to visit them later. She had stupidly thought that this would be Embry and her soon, as well. Turns out she was very wrong. Now Elizabeth was probably going to be the one to have the honor of carrying Embry's child, and not her. She would never get to experience this kind of joy with her husband.

After the messages from Sam, the excitement was too much for Bella to go back to sleep again, so instead, she got up to brew a strong pot of coffee for Leah and herself, before Leah had to leave for patrols. The house was still dark when she shuffled down to the kitchen, but Leah called out from her room. "Did you get the message of Sam and Emily's baby, too?"

"Yeah, I did." She called back. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure. I'll be there in a minute." She could hear Leah getting out of bed.

"I thought Quil would be here?" Bella said as Leah came stumbling into the kitchen, trying to get her ratty Led Zeppelin t-shirt over her head and combed through her messy black bob with her fingers.

"He had to patrol last night after the party," She mumbled sourly, grabbing two mugs from the drying rack and headed back to Bella. "I slept like shit last night. Don't think I'm used to sleeping alone anymore."

Bella bit her lip and poured the coffee into the mugs, careful not to make a mess. She chuckled softly and shook her head. "I don't think it's going to be long before he asks you to move in with him."

"I think that's moving a bit fast, don't you?" She grabbed her cup and took a seat at the kitchen table, stretching out her long legs. She appraised Bella for a moment, before she continued. "We've barely started dating."

Bella raised a challenging brow at her, "You practically live together already. If you're not spending the night at his place, then he's staying over here. So, what's the difference?" She added two spoons of sugar to her coffee and stirred the dark beverage. "And you've already had tons of sex, so you can count that as dating too, I guess. And you two aren't kids anymore, so I think it's safe to assume that the next step will happen sooner than you think." She took a careful sip of her own coffee. "And no offence, but it's not like you were saving yourself for marriage. You're obviously not a virgin anymore, so if he asked you to move in, there would be no reason for you to say no."

Leah shrugged, but didn't answer. This got her thinking. Really thinking, apparently, because when she left for patrols, she was still quiet. And a quiet Leah always meant she was contemplating something. This also meant that Bella had gotten through to her. She knew Leah was still hesitant, because she was scared of getting hurt. But if Leah knew what she knew - what a beautiful couple they were in her other life - she wouldn't be as careful as she was now.

If Quil did ask Leah to move in with him, or if they decided to stay in the Clearwater house together, it meant that she needed to find a place of her own. There was no way she was going to stay with Quil and Leah. She loved them dearly, but they also deserved their privacy. And honestly, she was scared of walking in on them again. She knew that was inevitable. And since Embry and she were obviously not getting together, she needed to think of where she would go.

She grabbed the paper from yesterday, pulled out a chair and took a seat at the kitchen table, pulling one leg up onto the chair, hugging it against her body with one arm, while she paged through various adds, until she landed in the rentals section.

What was the chance that she'd get a place to rent on the reservation? Sure, she could easily find herself a place in Forks, but La Push was her home now, and she didn't want to be so far away from her friends. But then again, maybe it would be a better choice to get away. This way, she wouldn't have to see Embry and Elizabeth together all the time. Although she wanted him to be happy, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt like a bitch to see him with someone else. If she did find a place on the reservation, she'd take it. But if not, then she'd take it as a sign that she didn't belong here anymore. That it was time to move on. Find herself a husband that didn't belong to the supernatural. A husband who only had a regular day job, and didn't have to protect his people. How boring. Would she honestly be satisfied with that? All she new was the supernatural. That was part of her life, ingrained into her, and nothing would ever be able to take that away. That was _her_ normal, now. Bella raked her hand through her hair and blew out a frustrated breath as she realized she had just scanned through the entire rentals page, without any idea of what she had just read.

When she tried again, she found no places in La Push, and no one or two bedroom houses for rent in Forks, either. There were only larger places, with price ranges that were way too high for her to afford. Perhaps it wasn't the right time yet, but she'd ask Sue and Charlie to keep an ear to the ground for any places opening up on the reservation and in Forks.

* * *

After Leah's patrol, they stopped by the flower shop and bought Emily a large bouquet of flowers - sunflowers were her favorite - and a big blue balloon that said 'Congratulations! It's a boy!'.

Quil met up with them in the hospital parking lot, Embry in tow, doing his best to avoid eye contact, and Bella's heart stopped for a second at the sight of him, before kicking up into overdrive. She was sure all three of them could hear it, but if they did, they didn't give anything away. They understood her feelings. She just wished her poor heart wouldn't react the way it did at the sight of Embry, every time. Would she ever reach a point where she wasn't affected by him anymore? A point where she didn't feel so weak and pathetic in his presence.

"Where's your date?" Leah bravely asked the question that was on the tip of Bella's tongue. She had expected Elizabeth to come along.

Embry's eyes shot up to meet Bella's for a second, looking pained, before he focused his attention on Leah. He scratched his head uncomfortably, but shrugged with indifference. "She had a lunch date with her parents." He provided simply, ending the conversation before it had even begun, almost like he didn't want to talk about it. So why wasn't he with _her_ , then? Why didn't he join Elizabeth and her parents for lunch?

Leah and Quil lead the way through the automatic double doors and into the hospital, stopping at the reception desk to ask where Emily's room was, though she was quite sure her three friends would be able to sniff out Sam and Emily's room on their own. It was only out of respect, and probably for the sake of looking like normal people, that they didn't do just that. The friendly, sandy-haired woman at the desk pointed them in the right direction with a brilliant smile, reminding them that there were only two allowed in the room at a time, and that visiting hours ended at eleven.

"Who's going in first?" Quil asked, briefly looking over his shoulder at Embry and her who were following quietly behind him and Leah, as they all headed down the corridor to the labor ward.

"You and Leah can go first," Bella offered. "She's family, after all." She should have asked for Embry's opinion, but she wasn't ready to talk to him yet.

"You fine with that, Em?" Quil politely wanted to know.

"Sure," He shrugged. "I don't mind." Bella saw Embry look at her from his periphery as he spoke.

When they arrived at Emily's room, Embry took a seat outside the door on a chair way too small for a man of his size, still avoiding eye contact with her. She, herself, chose not to sit down, feeling too cloddish and anxious to pretend that everything was normal. If she sat down, she was afraid that she'd have to resort to awkward small talk, to combat the even _more awkward_ silences that she knew would arise. And there was nothing that unsettled her more than the possibility of awkward silences, especially with her 'husband'.

"Can we talk about what happened last night?" Embry suddenly looked up, breaking the silence. Bella lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, and her stomach twisted at the raw emotion she saw in his eyes. What did he want to talk about that they haven't already discussed last night? Maybe he wanted to tell her the truth about him and Elizabeth, but she wasn't ready to hear that he was in love with the pretty blonde, and that she was truly no longer an option for him. She didn't want to start crying again. Not here in the hospital where everyone could see.

She opened her mouth to retaliate, to protect her broken heart, but found that she couldn't hurt this beautiful man in front of her. Not again. She closed her mouth, swallowing thickly as she tried to think of something to say. "I don't think now is a good time, Embry," She tore her gaze away from the brutally captivating brown eyes of his, and looked down at her feet for a moment, taking a deep breath to try and steady her thumping heart. "Today is about Sam and Emily, and I really don't want to ruin this for them."

"We have to talk at some point." He implored. She still didn't look at him as he spoke, fixing her gaze on a black scuff mark on the otherwise pristine floors, just so she didn't feel tempted to steal another glance at the man who still held her broken heart firmly in his hands.

"What else is there to say that we didn't cover last night?" She mumbled under her breath. She knew he could hear her.

He carefully got up from the fold-up chair, shook his hair out of his eyes and took a step toward her.

Instinctively, she looked up, meeting his intense gaze. It caught her off guard, because there was an unbridled tenderness there, that almost convinced her that he still cared for her deeply. Just the idea alone made her heart ache, and in an attempt to protect her maimed heart, she lifted her hand to keep him from coming any closer. "Don't, Em. Please." She begged, shaking her head. If he touched her now, she was going to fall apart right here, and she had to keep it together. For everyone's sake.

"I'm sorry I hurt you last night," He said, shuffling even closer, despite her request to keep his distance. "I didn't mean-"

"I said don't!" She bit out through clenched teeth. "This is not the time or place."

Embry's eyes widened for a split second, before he reined in his emotions. A frown creased his forehead and looked down at his feet, nodding. She knew it wasn't necessary to be so harsh, but there was really nothing left to say. He loved Elizabeth, and not her, and hearing it last night was painful enough. She really didn't need to hear it again. There was nothing he could say that would erase the pain and mend her heart. No words could make things easier.

"I'm just going to get some coffee," She told him, her voice sounding flat to her own ears, and turned away, heading back the way they came before he could stop her. She had seen a small coffee shop on their way to the labor ward, and instead of sitting next to Embry in awkward silence while they waited for their turn to see Emily and the baby, she'd keep herself busy until then.

She watched other excited visitors pass her by as they headed toward labor ward, carrying balloons, flowers and presents, chatting merrily as they went. She felt guilty for having such a heavy heart on an exciting day like this, but she hadn't planned on seeing Embry again, so soon. She had hoped he would make himself scarce after last night, giving her an opportunity to lick her wounds in private, and yet here she was, heart raw and bleeding, with him here to witness it. She so badly wanted to be just another happy visitor.

Bella felt a warm hand on her shoulder as she waited in line for her coffee, and looked up to find Old Quil standing next to her. "Mr Ateara," Bella greeted. "Hi."

"Seems everyone is excited to catch a glimpse of the new cub," He smiled at her, his soft dark eyes looking right through her. His smile disappeared to be replaced by a frown. "Or are you here for a different reason?"

"No, no," She shook her head, trying on a shaky smile that miraculously seemed to stick. "I'm visiting Emily and the baby, but I thought I'd come down for coffee while I wait for my turn to go in."

The barista caught Bella's eye and held up her cup of coffee. "Just a second, sir." She told Old Quil and stepped forward to get her coffee.

"Mind some company on your way back?" He asked as she joined him again.

"Sure. I'd like that." She accepted his offer and noticed that he didn't get himself anything to drink. "You didn't want coffee, sir?"

"No," He chuckled. "I was just on my way to pay the young Uleys a visit, myself, when I saw you waiting in line. I've wanted to talk to you for a while now. I had intended on it last night, but things had gotten a little out of hand with that girl showing up, and I never got the chance."

"Oh?" She wondered about what, though she could probably guess. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to find out how you were doing in general. If you were making any progress? Especially after last night." He asked as they headed back.

"I'm fine." She lied easily, focusing intently on the cup in her hand.

"Good." He nodded. "Now how 'bout you tell me the truth, hmm?" He looked at her, eyes twinkling with mirth like he knew he'd caught her out. At least he handled it well that she had just lied to his face. She should have known she wouldn't be able to hide anything from him. He had the ability to see _everything._

Bella grimaced and sighed out her apology. "Sorry. It's just that I don't want to make today about me and my feelings, when it's actually Sam and Emily's day."

"Dear child," He wrapped an arm around her, speaking into her ear. "Just because it's their day, it doesn't diminish the pain you are feeling."

Oh boy. For an old man, Mr. Ateara sure was a very observant man. Why did everyone want to talk about last night? She was a big girl. She could handle it. She just needed some time. She had been hoping she could avoid the topic for just a while longer though, since she was still licking her wounds. And she wanted to do it in the privacy of her own home, where no one could see.

"I guess I just don't know how to handle the situation with Embry and Elizabeth," She bit her lip, thinking of how to word her thoughts. This time she was going to be honest. "It's not that Jake didn't hurt me, but I realized this past week that there will never be anyone for me but Embry. And the worst part is, he didn't choose me." She stopped and turned toward the old man. "I'm trying to be happy for him, honest to god," She tried to assure him. "But it's just so hard. It's not easy to let the man you love go, and watch him be happy with someone else."

"You say it like you've already lost him," Old Quil frowned. "There is still time to get him back."

Bella looked down at her feet and raked her free hand through her hair, blowing out a frustrated breath. When she looked up at the old man, she shook her head. "No, I'm done. I asked him about it last night, about what he felt for me. And he made it abundantly clear that he doesn't want me. So, if he's happy with Elizabeth, I'm not going to try and take that away from him. He really is a good man, and he deserves to be happy."

"And you're sure he was telling the truth?" Mr Ateara asked as they resumed their walking.

"Of course I am." She was getting a little annoyed with the old man for dragging this out. Every detail she had to recount from last night just cemented the reality inside of her heart. And it hurt like hell.

"I'm sorry," He shook his head in apology and held up his hands, "I don't mean to upset you, but I hate to see you give up the fight that you could still win."

"There is nothing to fight for anymore," She assured him vehemently, hoping she could make him understand. "He made his choice, and I'm going to respect that. Besides, if I hadn't doubted our love in the first place, I wouldn't be here, would I? So this is essentially my fault. And it's my punishment."

When Embry's large frame came into view, still parked on the tiny chair where she had left him, Old Quil and she stopped talking.

He looked up at her, wearing a severe frown like he had been waiting for her to come back. Like he still had something to say, despite her earlier attempts to get him to do anything but that. Her heart ached to see him look so out of sorts, but she wasn't here to assure him that everything was okay. That she was okay. He had made his choice, and the guilt he was carrying for breaking her heart, was something he had to deal with on his own. If that was what he wanted to talk about, she really didn't want to hear it. She wasn't strong enough yet, to listen to him talk about Elizabeth and himself. And she wasn't going to assure him that he had made the right choice.

"Thank you for the talk, Mr Ateara," Bella said, turning to give him a hug. "I appreciate it."

"Don't give up, Bella. That's all I'm asking." He whispered in her ear as he returned her hug.

"I'll think about it," She said as she pulled away, lying once again. There was nothing to think about anymore.

* * *

Bella made herself comfortable on the couch, in front of the TV, digging her spoon into a tub of Ben and Jerry's, scoffing at the particular flavor she had unknowingly selected. Blondie Ambition. Jesus. Everywhere she went, there were things that reminded her of Embry and his new blonde girlfriend. Not even her comfort food could give her a break.

She had decided to take today to wallow in self-pity, while Leah and Quil were out on another date. She had declined their invitation to come along. It was their date, and despite that, she really didn't want to feel like the third wheel while they went all gooey and lovey dovey in front of her. She just couldn't stomach something like that today, and she deserved _one_ day on her own to feel sorry for herself, didn't she?

Seeing Embry at the hospital had been hard, but seeing him hold Eli had been even worse. It was just another reminder that she was never going to experience what it was like to see him hold their own child.

Bella ladled a large spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, wiping away a frustrated tear.

She couldn't help but mentally compare Eli to what she had imagined her own baby would look like. He would probably also be a chubby bundle of cuteness with rosy cheeks and cherry lips, with satin soft skin and a thick tuft of black hair on his head, just like Embry. And she had always imagined that he would look exactly like his daddy - ridiculously beautiful.

At the hospital, they had all bickered about who baby Eli resembled more. Sam had insisted that he looked more like the Uleys, while Emily was adamant that he had her eyes and nose and that there was definitely more Young blood in him, than Uley. In the end, though, Embry and she had both broken the news to Emily that her baby boy did actually resemble his father more.

Bella swallowed thickly as she remembered the look Embry had given her when she had held little Eli in her arms for the first time.

She had been so enthralled by the baby's tiny little features and the way his eyelashes fluttered as he dreamed, that she didn't notice Embry staring at her until she looked up. At first, she couldn't quite place the look, figure out the meaning behind the emotions so openly on display in those large, dark eyes of his. But as she kept his gaze, oblivious to the curious looks being exchanged between Sam and Emily, she had realized that it was awe, and that thought alone knocked the breath right out of her. And that was the thing that haunted her the most. In fact, it haunted her all the way back home, and still did, right now.

Even though she had promised herself that she wouldn't replay last nights conversation in her head, she couldn't help but try and figure out what the hell was going on with Embry. He brought Elizabeth to the party after their heated night on Leah's couch – this very couch she was sitting on right now. She sniffed the pillows in a desperate attempt to catch just a whiff of Embry's scent, but no. Nothing. She wanted to figure out all the hidden meanings behind Embry's behavior and facial expressions. And once again, none of it matched up. The way he had looked at her at the hospital, was the way she had always imagined he would look at her the day their own child was born. And the way he looked at her while he had Elizabeth on his arm yesterday, was confusing as hell. She wished he'd just tell her what he wanted, so she could finally get some closure. Though, maybe that's what he's been trying to do all day.

Bella huffed in irritation at the movie playing on the TV. It was one of those soppy, romantic movies that would never, ever take place in reality. And even though she wanted to sit here and feel sorry for herself for just a little while longer, she simply couldn't. She was going to drive herself mad if she didn't find something to keep herself occupied with. And when she was upset, the only thing that really helped was to cook.

She pushed up from the couch, grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contact list as an idea formed in her head. She could go over to Sam and Emily's place and start cooking for the army of people that would surely be by tomorrow when the new parents arrived back from the hospital. Everyone would want to come over and meet the new pack member, and there was no way that Emily was going to be able to cook for them. Even if she wanted to.

She dialed Sam's number to ask for his permission to go through with the plan. She didn't simply want to intrude, even if she was sure he wouldn't mind.

* * *

 **EPOV**

Embry's heart was shattered because of what he'd said and done at the bonfire last night. He had purposefully tried to hurt Bella, in order to push her away. Bringing Elizabeth along hadn't worked out quite like he had planned. Bella had no idea that Elizabeth was his friend's wife, and that she had agreed to help Bella think that he had moved on. She didn't know that he had no feelings for Elizabeth. It was mean to do this, even though he was trying to do the right thing, because he had hurt Bella more than he had intended. He had stayed a few minutes after Bella walked into the toilet, and he'd heard her cry. Never before had he cried. Not since they were kids and they'd gotten the news of Sarah's untimely demise. But last night, he had to consciously fight back the tears when he heard Bella cry like her heart had been ripped out. He had to consciously will himself not to go into the toilets and pull her into his arms. He wanted to promise her that she was the only one he loved, and that he hadn't slept with anyone since the day she knocked on his door looking all confused and out of sorts.

He was too embarrassed to apologize yet. He didn't have the heart, because then he would have to admit what a coward he was being. But now, all he could think about was that he needed to tell Bella the truth. The more he hurt her, the less he could fathom why he was trying to push her away. She and Jake had officially ended things last night. They were separating. Getting a divorce. This was finally his chance to be with her, and he was fucking it up.

But seeing Jake whisper in her ear, smile at her and touch her, had been too much for him to handle yesterday. He had been certain that Bella was smart enough not to give Jake another chance. He had been so sure that she had feelings for him as well, but after what he had seen, doubt had filtered into his mind, and brought with it a profound rage. She was his. And he didn't like that someone else was touching her, even if it was her current husband.

When Erin arrived, he had to admit that he'd been mighty happy about it. It was time for the truth to come out. It was time for everyone to see how much Jake had hurt Bella. And after that, things had finally ended between Bella and Jake. For good. But he still couldn't have her, could he? Wasn't it too soon? If they started dating now, everyone would know that something had to have been going on between them while she and Jake were still together. And Jake would know that Embry had betrayed him.

And today, when he saw Bella holding baby Eli in her arms, a sudden pang of longing gripped his heart. A longing for her to hold his child – their child. He wanted them to have a happy life together. He wanted everything with her. Not just these feelings that he had to keep hidden to keep the peace. And he knew that despite what everyone would think and say, despite how it would look, he needed to tell her how he felt. He was done putting other people's happiness above his own. But Bella had started pulling away. She wouldn't even give him a chance to explain himself. He needed to fix things as soon as he could, before it was really too late for them. Before he lost his chance with her again.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand as she finished cutting up the chicken roulade. The kitchen was hot and stuffy. Vegetables, potatoes and a big pot of pasta sauce were on the burners, making the kitchen too hot to handle on this unnaturally warm Monday. She had asked Leah and Kim to excuse her from work today, so she could get everything ready for this afternoon when Emily and Sam would be arriving from the hospital. For when the pack would be coming over.

She had worked through the night to prepare food for today, and she was feeling tired and irritated. The quiches were finished, and so were most of the salads. The meatloaf was done, and finally the chicken that she had spent the better part of the morning stuffing, rolling and cooking. Not to mention the deserts, which kept her busy for most of the midnight hours. But at least it had kept her mind off of Embry. Sort of.

She headed over to the stove, grabbed her wooden spoon and stirred the pasta sauce. She lifted the spoon to her mouth, blew gently on the sauce and tasted it carefully. It was ready - perfect.

The sound of the front door opening made Bella look up, and an involuntary smile broke out over her face at the sight of Sam and Emily. She had Eli cradled in her arms, entering carefully like she was trying not to trip.

"Welcome home," Bella said and turned off the burner under the pasta sauce, wiping her hands on her dirty apron before heading over to them.

Emily looked around her kitchen at all the various bowls and dishes that covered most of the surfaces, and gaped at Bella in shock. "Oh my god, Bella." She shuffled toward the kitchen. "Sam told me what you had planned, but this," She gestured to all of the food, "You didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"Nonsense," She waved it away and grinned. "I wanted to do it."

With one arm, Emily pulled Bella in for a hug and squeezed her hard. "Thank you," She said as she pulled away, eyes shining with tears. "It really means a lot to me."

"It was my pleasure. I had fun doing it." She assured Emily. She didn't want her friend worrying about anything today.

"I bet it kept you busy all night, by the look of things." She walked into the kitchen, checking out the spread that Bella had concocted.

Bella watched her carefully, anxious about her reaction. "It did, yeah," Bella nodded. "But like I said, it was fun."

Emily seemed pleased about the selection, and Bella couldn't help but feel proud. She had pulled it off. And even though she was dog tired, she relished the feeling of contentment that came with all of her hard work. She had managed to keep it together, push her own feelings aside and did something for someone else.

Sue came over a little later, offering a hand where needed, and Bella asked her to finish the vegetables while she ran to the store to get some ingredients for one more salad that she had to make. Sam had left not long after he and Emily had arrived home, eager to catch up on what he had missed since Saturday evening. Since Bella had been there, he had asked her to keep an eye on Emily and the baby while they rested up for the dinner tonight, and Sue assured her that she'd be able to handle this task while Bella was at the store.

Finding the last ingredients she needed to complete the feast for tonight, had taken almost no time at all, since the store was relatively quiet, but as Bella headed back to her car, she had an ominous feeling that something wasn't right. A feeling that someone was watching her. The mere idea made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and immediately she turned to look around her, trying to see if she was right. Strangely there was nothing suspicious that she could spot. A very handsome jock-type guy pushed through the door of the store she had just been in, deeply immersed in a conversation with someone (probably a friend), laughing boisterously at something that was being said. He didn't even look at her as he headed over to his car. At the end of the street, an old man was waiting for the light to turn green, and as it did, he and his Yorkie crossed the street. He had a small bag of dog food in his one hand, while the other hand firmly held onto the leash of said dog.

A teenage girl with dark, shiny hair jogged past on the other side of the street, Ipod earpieces in her ears, not even glancing her way.

So all in all, there was nothing she could pin point to as strange or suspicious. No one that paid her any attention, so she shrugged it off. It was probably the lack of sleep that was making her paranoid.

* * *

Everyone had started to arrive after five, just like Bella had expected. They wanted to see the baby, and the fact that there was a ton of food, made the spirits of the pack lift even more.

Sam had proudly held his cub for everyone to see, and it was incredible to see the pack of men falling head over heels for this tiny little baby. Bella had to laugh at Leah's incredulous gape when Quil asked her when it would be their turn to start making a baby. She had scoffed and slapped him on the arm, but she could see right through Leah and the cool front she was putting up. There was an extra twinkle in her eye that she couldn't hide, making Bella think that maybe Leah was considering this. Not for right now, but for later. She had always said she wasn't the mommy type and that babies weren't something she'd ever consider, but maybe she just had to meet the right guy who could awaken that latent maternal desire deep within her.

Embry arrived just before Charlie showed up, and pulled her to the side. He looked tired and stressed, and she found herself feeling bad for him. Something was obviously bothering him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She wasn't ready to talk to Embry yet. She was still hurting, and there was really nothing he could say to make her feel better. Nothing that could mend her broken heart. It would take time - a lot of time - for her to get over him, if ever. But for now, she just wanted to avoid him so she could fool herself into thinking that she was okay and handling things. "I'm a little busy at the moment." She said and sidestepped him, heading back to the kitchen to pretend to keep herself busy, but she should have know that he wouldn't let it go that easily. He was obviously determined to talk to her about something, but she was equally determined to put it off for as long as she could.

He grabbed her arm to stop her, and as she looked up into his dark, pleading eyes, she almost couldn't deny him. He had this undeniable hold on her heart and mind, but she was stubborn enough to try and avoid him. She didn't want to hear what he had to say - she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Hey Bells?" Her father interrupted from across the living room, heading over to her and effectively saving her from a conversation she wasn't ready for. "Would you mind helping me get Eli's presents from the car?"

She frowned momentarily, wondering what her father was up to, but in the end she nodded in agreement as her father grabbed a hold of her arm, gently steering her away from Embry, who somehow looked so crestfallen. "Sorry," She apologized over her shoulder at Embry, and turned away, taking a deep, steadying breath as she finally managed to escape the tension between them. She knew he had something on his mind and that he'd definitely be back, but for now, she had avoided the topic. She didn't want to hear how he was sorry for what happened, and how he really felt obligated to do right by her. She didn't want to hear that he was in love with the blonde, and that he was starting a life with her. Though she had given him up and only wanted him to be happy, she simply couldn't stomach the truth yet.

"Now I'm not one to listen to idle gossip, but I heard something that bothers me," Her father said as they reached his patrol car. "Really bothers me a hell of a lot."

"Which is?" Bella said and folded her arms over her chest, leaning against the car. She looked up into her father's eyes, and found only concern in his dark eyes - no traces of judgement. She knew what he had heard. The whole goddamn Reservation had probably heard, so it was no surprise that he knew. Sue had probably told him, and she wondered if word had gotten to Billy yet, because if it did, she knew he'd be back as soon as he could manage, to somehow come and rectify the situation. Charlie and Billy had always been over the moon about Jake and her, especially when Jake had proposed to her. But she wondered if either of the men would understand that it was genuinely over between them.

"I heard that things are over between you and Jake, Kiddo." He said and rubbed the tops of his thigs in a nervous gesture. Bella knew he hated to talk about such personal things. "That he cheated on you."

Bella narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side, trying to gauge Charlie's reaction to the news. He still looked concerned, but not angry. At least, not at her. "Yeah, it's true." She nodded and looked away, finding her father's gaze too intense to hold.

He sighed harshly and from her periphery, she could see him shaking his head, also leaning back against the cruiser, and turned his eyes skyward like he was praying to the gods for wisdom. "Can't say I saw this coming, you know?" He lowered his head, scowling into the distance as he thought about what to say next. He licked his bottom lip before he spoke again. "Jake was always such a good fellow. Never thought he had it in him to hurt you like this," He turned back toward her and grabbed her shoulders firmly. "I trusted him to take care of you."

"Never thought it would happen either, Dad." She agreed. "I've known him for as long as I can remember, and I thought he was better than that. I thought I knew who he was."

Charlie simply nodded silently and raked a hand through his hair.

"But to be honest, things weren't going so great even before he cheated." Somehow, she had the need to defend Jake on some level. She didn't want the blame to rest solely on him. She also had a part to play in all of this. Not that it justified his cheating, but it may have lead to him being unsatisfied in their marriage.

"Meaning?" He arched a brow.

"I guess we've been struggling for a while. He's changed a lot, and I'm not sure if it was partly because of me. I don't know if I spoiled him too much, but he was becoming this selfish boy of a man in front of my eyes. He was becoming someone I could hardly recognize as the man I fell in love with years ago."

"I'm real sorry to hear that, Bells. I never had any idea that you were unhappy."

"It's okay. I think I still tried to pretend that everything was okay, until it _really_ wasn't anymore. Maybe Jake and I just outgrew each other."

Charlie nodded in understanding, adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. She could tell that he was feeling guilty somehow. She knew her father, and she knew that he'd find a reason to blame himself for her marriage to Jake falling apart. Not that he had any reason to. This was all on Jake and her, and had nothing to do with the fact that he and Billy tried their best to push their friendship into something more. As far as she knew, she had fallen in love with Jake without the two older men's 'meddling'.

"We should probably get back before the guests get suspicious." Charlie broke the silence that had taken up residence between father and daughter, and opened the car door, leaning in and passing presents back to her. It was surprising that he had gone to so much trouble to buy presents for Sam and Emily's little one. Or maybe it had been Sue who had gone shopping, and he was just the delivery guy.

* * *

 **EPOV**

Sam and Emily's place was crowded. More so than usual, and for obvious reasons. But still, all he could focus on was Bella. Even while Old Quil recited the same Quileute words of blessing as he touched his hand to the baby's forehead - the one that he had recited when Paul and Rachel's baby was born - he found it hard to stay interested. All he could think about was how much he wished Mr. Ateara would do the same for their child one day. He prayed that he'd get the chance to make things right with Bella, so they could start a life together. Start a family some day. But the way things were going right now, made him doubt the possibility.

Bella was avoiding him with all her might, and he couldn't fathom why. He wanted to talk to her. Explain to her what was really going on. But how could he, when she side-stepped him every time, refusing to listen to what he was saying. He wanted to tell her everything, if only she'd give him a chance. And then doubt trickled in again, like it always did. Was this the right thing for Bella? Was it worth dragging her through the mess that would surely come if they decided to start a relationship? Did he want her to be judged right alongside him for moving on so quickly after ending things with Jake? Everyone was going to question their integrity. Question Bella's loyalty to Jake throughout the marriage. Was he really selfish enough to put her through all of that?

It was only when he felt the slight pressure of the old man's hand on his shoulder, that he realized he had zoned out, completely missing the end of the blessing.

"Mind if I drag you away for just a few minutes?" Mr. Ateara spoke in a low whisper, keen eyes boring right through Embry's soul like he could see everything.

"Not at all, Sir." Embry gestured for the Mr. Ateara to lead the way. With a confident shuffle, the old man weaved his way through the crowded kitchen and out through the back door. Embry followed, ignoring the panicked look on Bella's face as he passed her by. Why would it bother her that he was going to have a private conversation with the old man? What was she hiding? Was it because of the conversation she had had with the old man when they were at the hospital yesterday?

Nobody else paid them any mind as they stepped outside into the sweltering heat that seemed to have no intention of cooling anytime soon, despite the sun already hanging low in the cyan sky. Mr. Ateara turned around, waiting for Embry to catch up, and as he did, the old man led them further away from the noisy house.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Embry asked as they finally sat down on a rickety wooden bench near the edge of the garden, next to a large bush of yellow daisies. On the other end of the garden, a gnome with a blue hat, black-rimmed spectacles and a prominent gray beard peeked out between the blush pink and light blue wilting hydrangeas, and a bird bath cast splashes of light against the trees as the birds got their fill of water. Was it Emily that had such a talent for gardening, or was it Sam? He had clearly not paid enough attention in all these years that he'd been here.

"How are you doing?" Old Quil asked, pulling him back to the present, and reminding him about point of coming out into the garden. The old man looked genuinely interested to hear Embry's answer.

He frowned at the old man, not sure where he was headed with the conversation. "Sir," He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Forgive me, but somehow I don't think you pulled me all the way out here to hear how I'm doing."

Old Quil's lips twitched up into a smile, and he chuckled heartily. "No, my boy. I didn't. There is more to this talk, but I do want to know how you're doing."

"I'm doing well." He said. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't very well start blubbering like a little girl about how fucked up things between Bella and him have gotten.

"Your eyes tell me a different story."

Embry swallowed thickly. How did this old man know that things weren't okay? Was it simply the wisdom that came with old age that made him such a keen observer, or was there more to it?

"Would you humor an old man and let him tell you a story?" Mr. Ateara asked. "It might just help you make up your mind."

Embry nodded in reluctant agreement, not sure how a story was going to help him. But he had a huge amount of respect for the man sitting next to him, and on that ground alone, he'd listen to whatever he was saying.

"Do you know who Lucy Fox is?" He asked.

"She was your wife, Sir." This was something he already knew.

"And I'm sure you know who Ephraim Black was?"

"Yes." He knew this too. Where was Mr. Ateara headed with this story?

"Lucy Fox was Ephraim Black's first wife, before he married Martha Young." The old man supplied.

Embry looked up in surprise. He never knew that Lucy had been married to Ephraim before she married Old Quil. "I didn't know that."

"Yes. You see, Lucy and Ephraim were happily married, until he decided to cheat on her. And despite the fact that it was common practice for a Quileute Alpha to take more than one woman, Lucy couldn't deal with the fact that she wasn't enough for Ephraim."

"So she left him?" He had heard of the alpha's prerogative to bed as many women as he wanted, but hearing it from Mr. Ateara somehow made it more real.

"She did." The old man nodded, closed his eyes and leaned back against the bench. He lifted his head skyward, like he was trying to soak up the last bit of sun before twilight took over. "And then she and I fell in love. Lucy and I were good friends since childhood, and I was there to comfort her when things went south in her marriage. And I guess that's ultimately what brought us closer and made us fall for each other."

This was sounding a lot like the mess currently going on in the pack. The mess between Bella, Jake and himself. "And what did the people say when the two of you fell in love?" This was the question he had been burning to ask. And he was glad he got to ask someone that had gone through the same thing he had, even if he wasn't planning on saying anything to Mr. Ateara. But somehow he got the feeling that the old man already knew. Why else would he be telling him the story?

"Nothing," He shrugged, turned his head toward Embry and opened one eye to look at him, keeping the other eye firmly shut against the sunlight. "They were happy for us. They knew Lucy deserved someone who loved her, and only her. Someone who would be faithful to her and make her happy."

"So what are you trying to say, Sir?" He asked.

"Son," Old Quil smiled mysteriously, a twinkle in his eyes. "You're a smart young man," He winked. "I think you know exactly what I'm trying to say."

"Yeah, I think I do," Embry nodded, and despite his earlier somber mood, he couldn't help the smile that suddenly broke out on his face. "Thank you." He said, got up from the bench and helped the old man up. Together, they walked back to the house in silence while Embry's mind tried to process all of the information he had just been given. This was what he had needed to finally make up his mind. He was going to tell Bella that he fell in love with her. He was done waiting. He was done being cautious. If she agreed to be with him, he was confident that together they'd be able to withstand any criticism or hardship. She was the person he wanted next to him when all his dreams came true. And she was also the one he wanted next to him when the storms hit - when things got tough. As long as she was at his side, he knew he could conquer anything.

Everyone was busy dishing up when he got back inside. Luckily, Bella had made a ton of food, so even with the massive helpings the pack took, there was still more than enough for the rest of the guests.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked and took his place next to Bella where she was leaning against the freezer, watching everyone dig in.

She smiled briefly, before her expression turned neutral. He hated that he was the one to make her feel like this, but he was going to do everything in his power to make things right. "Maybe later," She shrugged. "I'm not hungry right now."

"I really need to talk to you." He said in a very low whisper, nudging her shoulder with his.

Bella circled her arms around her waist like she was holding herself together, and shook her head. "Not now." She whispered, pushed away from the freezer and walked over to grab a plate from the kitchen table, despite the fact that she just said she wasn't hungry. It was obvious that she was trying to get away from him, but he wasn't giving up yet.

He followed behind her, grabbing a plate for himself too. "Then when?"

She looked up at him, eyes burning with fierce intensity. "I don't know, Em," She spoke through clenched teeth. "Just not now."

When Bella was done dishing up, she carried her plate to the living room, squeezing in between Seth and Jake like she was using them as a buffer. She was honestly trying to avoid him, and he couldn't understand why. It was killing him that he couldn't tell her how he felt about her, and the more time elapsed, the more determined he was to say what he needed to say.

He took a seat next to Paul and Rachel, sitting directly across from Bella. She was doing a great job of pretending to be interested in her food, despite simply pushing the vegetables and meatloaf around on her plate. Seth engaged her in conversation, while Paul, too, took a moment to say something to Embry between large mouthfuls of food. "Why don't you just go for it? All this tension is killing me."

"What are you talking about?" He tried to play it cool by shrugging innocently, and ferried a piece of chicken to his mouth, eyes still firmly resting on Bella.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not an idiot." Paul groused.

"She keeps avoiding me." He finally tore his gaze away from Bella and looked Paul firmly in the eye. He was surprised to find no hint of humor or sarcasm in his pack brother's eyes, and he was secretly grateful for that. At least he had two people on his side now, where things with Bella were concerned. Two people who were obviously not going to judge him for going after her - for pursuing his own happiness for a change.

"Then find a way to make her listen." Paul squeezed his shoulder in an attempt to get his point across.

"I've tried, believe me. But it's clearly not working. Every time I get the opportunity to talk to her, it's like she does her utmost best to get away from me."

"Then try harder." Paul shrugged, like it was the easiest thing in the world to convince Bella to listen to him. "Do whatever you have to."

"Yeah, I will," He sighed. "I'm going to do everything in my power to get her to listen to me. But I don't think it's going to happen tonight. There's too many people around. I just want to get her alone so we can talk in private without any distractions."

Everyone looked up in surprise as the front door flew open suddenly, and banged loudly against the wall, interrupting their meal. A disheveled-looking Brady walked in, concern etched across his features, muscles stiff and jaw clenched as he spoke. "I caught scent of a vampire not far from here."

 **A/N: And cue the drama...**

 **What did you think?**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey guys. Can I just say thank you a million times over! Your reviews - my god, thank you thank you thank you! You are the best. Do you have any idea how much they meant to me? Hence, your next chapter arriving sooner than I had planned. Yes, it is a little shorter than the previous two, but I decided to cut it in half (though the other half still needs to be written), and bring you this chapter as a thank you. And then I also need to apologize for not thanking YankeeGirlNJ and SassYNoleS for checking in on me when I took so long to update the previous chapter, just to make sure everything was okay with me. I appreciate the concern.**

 **So, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **ALT Chapter 13 - An unhealthy obsession**

 **EPOV**

" _Just get that fucking piece of shit!"_ Sam ordered through the pack mind. _"I don't care what you have to do. Break down this whole goddamn forest if you have to, but get the son of a bitch."_

Embry and Paul streaked down the clearing toward the thicker part of the forest, where they could see the pack snarling and foaming at the mouth as they tried to get to the vampire that has been tree-hopping for the better part of three hours. At first, he had tried to outrun them, and it had worked for a while. Until the undead motherfucker had gotten tired. Up until the point where Quil had very nearly ripped his leg from his stony body, he had been in the lead, but they had worn him down slowly but surely, biding their time until he'd start slipping up. And that's when he had decided to start jumping from tree to tree, taunting them with his deep baritone laugh.

None of the pack could climb trees, and the leech knew this very well. But they couldn't just give up. Someone had to do something.

" _I'm going to phase back to man,"_ Embry let the rest of the pack know, as Paul and he caught up with them. _"There is no way that we're going to be able to catch him as wolves while he's up in those trees, and this could take forever. I'll climb the tree and see if I can get to him."_

" _Are you fucking crazy, man?"_ Jake joined into the conversation. _"You're going to get yourself killed like that."_

" _I'll be careful,"_ He promised. _"But this is the only way to get up into those trees and meet the piece of shit head-on."_ Embry didn't wait for the go ahead, and instead, he sank down on his hind legs and willed his body back to human form. As he felt the heat wash through each muscle and his bones shift, he knew what was awaiting him was probably going to be tough - _if_ he managed to pull off this stunt at all. He dug his fingers deeply into the damp, mossy bark of a very large redwood tree, and started climbing as fast and as quiet as he could, grabbing onto a side branch and swinging himself up higher, closer to the vampire who still hadn't noticed him. He knew his ridiculous bravery was partially intensified by the insane amount of adrenaline pumping through his system, but this seemed like the only way to get things done _._

" _Think this through, mate."_ Quil had phased back as well, to give his opinion on the matter, it seemed, and opened his mouth at the worst imaginable time. If only Embry had known what was going to come out of his mouth next, he would have duct taped it shut. _"Think about Bella and what this will do to her if something were to happen to you."_

This made Embry stop mid-climb, heart dropping into his stomach, head jerking back to look down at where his friend was standing in between the rest of the wolf pack. His mouth popped open in shock at what Quil had just revealed. Now every goddamn person in this pack knew about his feelings for Bella. And probably deducted that Bella felt something for him too. And Jake had obviously heard this, as well. So much for keeping his mind on lock-down every time he phased, to keep the truth from coming out.

A loud growl tore through the dark quiet of the night from both the vampire, who had realized Embry's plan, and from the soon-to-be Alpha, and as Embry caught Jake's eye for the briefest moment, he knew he was in deep shit. It was at that point that the vampire caught wind of his plan, and leapt effortlessly from the top of the tree, over to the next.

" _God dammit, Quil!"_ Embry cried out, furious that his friend couldn't keep his mouth shut. Especially when he'd been so close to taking the vampire by surprise. The collective pack mind was reeling now with this new information, mingled in between the knowledge that the vampire was getting away. _"Why the fuck did you just do that?"_ He didn't look at his friend, or at Jake, whom he could see from his periphery, standing rooted to the spot at the bottom of the tree where Embry was now hanging on like an idiot, prey long gone. He was hanging onto the branch with one hand, fingers digging into the bark and feet tucked firmly underneath him against the thick trunk, watching as the vampire faded into the night by swinging from tree to tree like some kind of fucking monkey.

As soon as Embry recovered from the shock of what Quil had just let slip, he loosened his grip and slid carefully down the trunk toward the ground, scraping off thick sheets of bark along the way, that scattered around him and rained down over Jake's head, probably pissing him off even more. He phased just before he hit the damp grass at the bottom of the tree, landing with a muted thud in front of his friend, both of them now standing on all fours, muzzle to muzzle. Quil had had enough common sense to phase back and join his brothers - he probably knew the shit he'd just caused and that he needed to make himself scarce.

" _Don't let him get away!"_ Jared yelled through the pack mind, and Embry could see the vampire heading toward the cliffs, through his eyes. If the unholy piece of rotting flesh got to the edge of the cliff before the pack, they were going to lose him. And though some might think they'd scared him off for good, he had the strangest feeling that the bloodsucker was here for a reason. There was a purpose behind his presence, and he'd be back soon.

" _What the fuck did Quil just talk about?"_ Jake asked, demanding Embry's attention.

" _It was nothing, man. We need to get to the bloodsucker before he gets away."_ He tried to play it down, hoping Jake would let it go so they could get back to chasing the intruding leech. But he was an idiot to think that Jake would let this go so easily.

" _There are more than enough of the pack to handle that thing."_ He jerked his muzzle over his shoulder as he spoke through the pack mind, wolf circling Embry with a deadly glint in his eye. Embry could hear the odd silence in the collective pack mind, as they all did their best to listen in, while also focusing on the task laying before them.

" _Fine,"_ He let up, sighing mentally. It was time for the truth, come what may. _"Let's at least phase back so we can talk in private."_

Jake was the first to phase, and when Embry followed suit, he was too slow and too taken by surprise to dodge the fist that came flying at his face, hitting him square in the nose. Jake was cursing like a sailor, while all he could focus on was the sharp, stinging pain that made his eyes water. A thick stream of blood dribbled from his left nostril and over his lip, and instinctively, he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and put his hand to his face to assess the damage Jake had done. His nose felt crooked, and before it could heal and set, he clenched his teeth in determination and reset his nose. "Goddammit!" He cursed as he had to endure another round of crippling pain. "Why the hell did you do that, man?"

"Did you fuck my wife?" Jake ignored his question, shoulders squared and eyes as dark as slate as he demanded an answer.

"What?" Embry was taken aback by the direction Jake's thoughts were headed in, though he should have known. This was exactly what he'd feared – people thinking they were having an affair. Jake wasn't completely wrong, but he wasn't going to drag Bella into this mess by opening his mouth. What happened between them, was going to stay between them and no one else needed to know about it.

"I said-" Jake yelled loudly, jaw tight, but mercifully lowered his voice as he continued. "Did you have sex with Bella?" Jake's hands were visibly shaking at his sides as he stared Embry down, waiting for him to answer.

"No. Jesus, Jake." He assured him, holding his hands up in defense. "Of course I didn't sleep with her." Thank god he never let it go that far. They had gotten really fucking close that night on Leah's couch. "Don't you think you would have smelled me on her if we did have sex?"

Jake shrugged, not looking appeased by this answer at all. "For all I know, you could have used a condom." He ground out between clenched teeth.

"You know," Embry felt a flicker of rage light up inside of him as he stood there, letting Jake throw accusations at him. "It's sort of ridiculous for you to be angry at me for falling in love with Bella, when you were the one who cheated on her. She was obviously not enough for you, because you went out searching for a new piece of pussy the first chance you got," He chuckled darkly. " _If_ it was the first and only time. I mean, I wouldn't know what you did behind Bella's back. You seem real good at keeping secrets lately. "His words had struck a nerve with his best friend, because, before he could register the pain, a dull thud sounded in his ears as Jake punched him in the face once again, this time on the jaw. The intensity of the blow landed him firmly on the grass, flat on his ass, and made him look up at Jake in shock. His best friend had punched him twice in one night - the first time they'd gotten into a physical fight since they became friends, so many years ago. They had never had a reason to punch each other before tonight, and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now, even if Jake didn't think twice about doing it.

"Yeah, I did cheat on her," Jake said and glared down at Embry. "I made a fucking mistake, and now I'm paying for it," He grimaced and raked his hand through his hair. "I lost my wife because of it, but now I'm starting to wonder if maybe she had wanted you instead of me, and me cheating on her just gave her the courage to get out of our marriage." He took a step toward Embry, towering over him, eyes flashing with intense hatred. "Don't think I didn't know about your feelings for her back when I started dating her," Jake spat on the ground next to Embry. "So fucking much for friendship." He turned around and walked away, back to where the rest of the pack had sped off to.

"I didn't choose this, Jake!" Embry called out, trying to reason with his best friend - ex-best friend by the looks of things. "I tried to ignore my feelings for her. I swear I tried to fight it."

Jake flung around, pointing a finger at Embry. "Fuck you, man!" He seethed. "You should have tried harder. She was _mine_." He jabbed a thick finger into his own chest as he spoke, and without another word, he phased effortlessly back into his russet wolf and disappeared into the trees.

* * *

It was just after three am that Embry finally dragged his exhausted body into his house, and closed the door behind him. He neglected to turn on the lights, so tired now, that he was going to skip the shower, and instead use the time that was left, to sleep. He could shower in the morning before work, but right now, all he wanted was the comfort of his bed. His body was aching - not from the punches that had been thrown at him - but from the running that had followed the fight between Jake and himself. They had searched for the vampire for the better part of two hours, before they finally gave up, no scent to lead them in any specific direction anymore. The piece of shit had probably jumped into the water to get away from them. What bothered Embry the most, though, was why the vampire was here. What did the leech want? If he had been here to hunt, wouldn't he have left much earlier, when he first got wind of the wolves and realized that hunting on their land wasn't worth it?

He should have know that his mind was way too busy to fall asleep. He kept thinking about what was going to happen to Bella. Quil had inadvertently dragged her into this mess, by opening his mouth. He knew he couldn't hold it against his friend, because he'd had the best of intentions when he tried to discourage Embry from going after the vampire in human form. But the one thing he was grateful for, was that things were out in the open. Now, he didn't have to hide his feelings anymore. And neither did Bella, if they ever got to talk and sort out this mess between them - if she still wanted him. And that's what troubled him more than anything else. The what if's. Especially the idea that he was too late. That he'd messed things up so good, that he'd fucked up his last chance to be with her. He shouldn't have dragged Elizabeth into all of this to push Bella away. He should have manned up and told Bella that he was so in love with her, that he couldn't think straight, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life showing her how much he loved her.

* * *

When Embry walked into the auto shop at eight the next morning, dog tired and apprehensive as fuck about what the day was going to offer up, every eye was on him. All except one pair - Jake's.

They had all heard what Quil had said last night, and he was sure they had heard the exchange between Jake and himself after the vampire had taken off, as well. They were entitled to their own opinion, and Seth basically worshiped Jake, so there was no doubt that he would be on the Alpha-to-be's side. Or would he? After what Jake had done to Bella, anything was possible.

"Morning," He greeted them with a cantankerous mumble, choosing to keep his head down and get to work so this day could end already. If he could avoid everyone in the room today, it would make this day so much better. He didn't feel like being on the receiving end of the judgement that he knew some of them were ready to dish out.

Surprisingly, the rest of the gang greeted back, but Jake remained silent, as he had expected. He hated this - he hated that he was on bad terms with his best friend, and he had no idea how to make things right. The big question was, would he give Bella up once more, if it meant he could save their friendship? Jake meant a lot to him - he loved him like a brother, but maybe it was time that Jake let _him_ be happy for a change. Let _him_ have Bella this time around. After all, Jake had had his chance, and he had fucked it up royally. He pushed these thoughts aside for now, shrugged off the tension by rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck with two sharp sideways jerks, and headed over to the black Honda that he had started servicing last night just before closing time, grabbing an oil rag and the tools he knew he'd need, as he went. He rolled his eyes at the quiet tension that had seeped into the room, probably because of his presence. But right now, he had zero fucks left to give.

He opened the car door, popped the hood and fished his Ipod out of his back pocket as he rounded the car, heading back to the front. He selected Toxicity from System of a down, needing something loud that could help him get rid of his frustration, and pushed the earpieces into his ears, effectively drowning out the rest of the world, so he could focus on the task at hand - work.

It was around closing time, after getting through three more services and starting on another, that he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him jump and bang his head hard against the hood of the old Volkswagen he was currently working on. The music was blaring so loud in his ears, that even his wolf senses were a little off. "Fuck!" He cursed and rubbed his head where a massive lump was forming. He turned around and saw Jake standing behind him, trying to suppress a grin. "What the hell do _you_ want?" He grumbled and pulled the plugs from his ears. An annoying ringing in his ears from listening to his music too loud for the entire day, made him cringe and he shook his head in an attempt to get rid of the sound.

"Look," Jake pushed his hand through his short black hair and sighed, "I hate fighting with you. Especially over a woman." He smiled at Embry, but there was an obvious pain in his eyes that he tried to hide. "Even if the woman in question is technically still my wife."

Embry opened his mouth to say something, but Jake held up his hand to stop him. "Wait," He pleaded. "Just let me get this out."

He nodded, and waited for Jake to continue.

"I know you were in love with Bella in the beginning when you first met her. I mean, for gods sake, I'm not an idiot. It was written all over your face when you were in the same vicinity as her," He cocked his head to the side. "And I never meant to hurt you by going after her, but I just couldn't help myself. You know she has that uncanny ability to draw you in."

Embry nodded again. He did know - very well, in fact.

"But with time, it seemed that you had moved on, and so I pushed my guilt aside." He bit his lip and and looked down as shuffled his feet. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for being so selfish. And as much as I hate saying this," He lifted his head and looked Embry dead in the eye, "There's no one I'd rather want her to be with, than you. You're a good guy and I know you'd never hurt her on purpose. And despite your reputation with the ladies, I know you'd never cheat on her like I did."

"So..." Embry frowned as he processed Jake's words. "What exactly are you trying to say, here?"

Jake chuckled uncomfortably, "I know you don't need my permission to go after her. You're free to do whatever the hell you want. But I guess I'm trying to give you my blessing," He cleared his throat. "I just want her to be happy. And I want _you_ to be happy too."

* * *

Embry pushed down harder on the gas pedal as he willed his truck to go faster, and grinned in appreciation as the engine roared loudly, the force of the acceleration pushing his large body firmly back against the seat. He was heading over to Leah's house, to make Bella listen to him. He knew she was alone tonight. Quil had mentioned something about a date with Leah, but even if he had misunderstood, he was going to say what he'd been burning to say for the last few days, in front of whoever was at the house. He didn't care who'd be present to hear him.

He had put this off for way too long, and the fact that Bella had done her best to avoid him, had frustrated him to no end. But tonight was the night. No more delaying - he'd make sure she'd hear him out one way or another. Even if he had to chain her to a couch and make her listen. He chuckled at the idea. She was a stubborn woman, and he knew she'd most likely put up a fight tonight - he was ready for it. Her determination and stubbornness was one of the things he liked about her. Or rather, loved. He loved her so much that it physically hurt.

In his periphery, Embry could see the trees rushing past his window in a dark brown blur against the blue and orange back splash of the setting sun. On any other day, he'd probably be more appreciative of mother nature's beauty, but not tonight. He was a man on a mission.

As his heart pounded to the beat of the fast-paced song playing on the radio, he realized with surprise that he was very fucking nervous about what he was about to do. Things could go one of two ways tonight. Bella could either tell him that she felt the same, and that she wanted to be with him despite what anyone else thought, or she could tell him to fuck off. And he was sincerely hoping it wouldn't be the latter.

He blew out a steadying breath as he parked his truck in front of the house in question, and pulled up the break. This was it. He was actually going to go through with his plan.

It was at the exact moment he opened the door of his truck and the air from outside came rushing in, that he knew something was wrong. Very wrong. As he drew in a deep breath, the cloying stench of leech assaulted his senses. There was a fucking vampire nearby. The hairs on the back of his neck rose gravely as he looked around him, sniffing the air to get a better idea of where the bloodsucker was hiding.

A sharp, piercing cry made him swing around to face the house. Oh Jesus, no! That was Bella. The fucking leech was inside - with her.

Before his mind could even register his intentions, his body responded by phasing into wolf in under a second, preparing him for the fight of his life. He needed to get to Bella as fast as he could, and take out the bloodsucker for good. But before he went after Bella and the persistent intruder, he lifted his muzzle and gave a sharp howl, notifying the rest of the pack that there was trouble. How no one had caught scent of the vampire, was a mystery to him, since he had smelled the sickly sweet stench of rotting corpse the second he opened the door of his truck.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella unlocked the door to the house, getting that grave feeling that she was being watched, once again. But as she turned around to scan the front yard, she could see nothing unusual. Nothing out of place.

She shrugged, pushing back the unsettling feeling. It was probably because she knew she was going to be alone tonight. Quil had come to pick Leah up right after work, at the bookshop. They were heading to Port Angeles for their date, and she was going to spend the night at his place when they got back.

Bella wasn't easily scared by the idea of sleeping alone. She considered herself to be relatively brave, but lately, she felt less brave than she was accustomed to. And she didn't like it. The whole idea of a vampire on the loose didn't help settle her nerves either.

She picked up her two bags of groceries and entered the house, kicking the door closed behind her and flipping on the light switch with a sideways bump of her shoulder. Inside, nothing seemed out of place either, and she chuckled darkly at herself for being such a coward. Maybe if she put on the TV and locked the front door, she'd feel a little better.

With quick steps, she hurried to the kitchen, dumped the two bags and her purse on the kitchen table, and headed back to the front door, locking it and double checked by turning the doorknob. There, now she could relax. She bet if anyone tried to come in, she'd hear, and she'd be able to scream loud enough for at least one of the pack to hear her cry for help.

On her way back, she switched on the television, selecting a music channel that played soft, relaxing jazz - just what she needed right now.

Bella headed upstairs to change out of her work clothes and into something a little more comfortable. No one would see her tonight, so it didn't matter how ratty the t-shirt and pants were that she selected. As she stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at the second floor, it seemed too dark and eerie with the fading daylight, to go up there without switching on the light. So, that's exactly what she did. She flipped on the light at the bottom of the stairs, and headed up with a little more confidence now that she could see better.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed that the door to her room stood slightly ajar, and she frowned, because she always left her door wide open.

"You need to get a goddamn grip, Bella Call." She told herself out loud, and startled as she realized she was still referring to herself as Mrs. Embry Call, despite the current mess she found herself in. It made her smile for a second, before she pushed open the door to her room, holding her breath despite just castigating herself for being a coward.

The sight that met her as her room came into view, made her smile reappear.

A big bouquet of pink roses lay in the middle of her bed, and she had no idea who it was from, though she hoped it was from Embry. She strode purposefully over to the bed and picked up the roses, smelling them out of habit, before picking the card from in between the flowers.

Her hands trembled slightly as she removed the card from the small envelope, opening it up to find out who had sent her the roses.

 _Bella_

 _Twenty-five roses - one for each unique quality I love about you,_

 _xxx_

There was no name at the bottom, which left her a little disappointed. She had hoped it was from Embry, but essentially, it could have come from anyone. But other than Jake and Embry, who else would know twenty-five unique things about her? She doubted that the flowers were from Jake, because things were over between them, and he had seemed to accept the fact, judging by what he had said to her at the bonfire the other night. So that just left Embry. The idea that it was from him, made butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach. Maybe she should have let him say what he had wanted to say last night. Maybe she had worked herself up into such a frenzy over the idea that he was in love with Elizabeth, that she never considered that he might have wanted to tell her just the opposite. But she was almost too scared to get her hopes up - if she was wrong about this, it would kill her this time around.

She lay the flowers back down on the bed, and unbuttoned her work blouse, dropping it on the floor. Next to go was her pants, and as she shimmied out of them, and kicked them off, she felt a cool draft blowing against her neck. When she turned around to make sure if the window was open, her body jolted at the sight of a very pale, burly man standing behind her. And she recognized him instantly from the other day. It was that jock she had seen at the store the day she had gotten the sense that someone was watching her. He had the same curly brown hair and handsomely rugged features. The same brawny body, but there was one difference. When she had seen him at the store, he was wearing sunglasses. And now he wasn't. His vivid crimson eyes sent a chill down her spine. She knew exactly what he was - a vampire. The vampire, she guessed, that had been the reason that last night's celebratory gathering at Sam and Emily's house had been cut short.

Bella pulled in a lungful of air and did the only thing she could think of - the thing she had said she'd do if there was an intruder in the house - she screamed as loudly as she could manage.

The leech chuckled mirthlessly, nodding his head. "Yes, yes." He put an icy hand to her cheek, rubbing his thumb across her now pale skin. "That's it. I love the smell of your fear." He looked her dead in the eye. "Do you have any idea how much it turns me on?"

Bella whimpered as he dragged his nose up her neck, stopping at the precise point where her jugular was hammering against the skin of her neck.

"I love the smell of fear," He said again, "But on you," He groaned in apparent pleasure, and she had to swallow down the bile that had pushed up in the back of her throat in disgust at the creature that was trying to intimidate her. "It smells even better than on all the rest of the prey I've killed. You wear your fear like a fine french perfume. And it's such a fucking turn on." He pushed his pelvis sharply against her, and sure as hell, she could feel how hard he was. She tried not to gag. And even more than that, she tried not to let him smell how scared she was that he might just rape her right here, in her bedroom, in her best friend's house, with nobody here to save her. It amazed her how clear her mind had just gotten, amidst the bona fide danger standing right in front of her. It was like she could think of two separate things at once, because despite her fear and abhorrence at the leech that had his hands and other appendages all over her, and her speculation about why he was here, in her room, she also wondered if her cry for help had been loud enough for the wolves to hear. Were they already on their way? Or did she have to scream again, just in case they didn't hear her the first time?

"Did you like the roses I got you?" He asked, continuing on despite her lack of words. "Does it surprise you that I already know so much about you?" He put his lips to her earlobe, sending another shudder of disgust through her body. She hated how he was touching her. "How your cheeks flush when you cry, and your lips swell. Or how you bite your lower lip when you're nervous. Or how your heart gallops when you see that wolf you seem to love so much? The scent of arousal you give off when you're near him," He groaned again. "Oh Christ, that smell. Do you have any idea how fucking addictive that jasmine and honey scent of yours is?" He pulled back and dipped his head to look her in the eye. "It's almost as good as the smell of your fear. _Almost._ "

"Fuck you!" Bella spoke for the first time, very surprised at how clear and steady her voice sounded, despite her overwhelming fear of the bloodsucker.

The vampire cocked his head to the side, a nauseating grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. His eyes glinted menacingly - a stark contrast against the taunting smile on his face. "Oh yes, too right you are, little Bella. I _am_ going to fuck you." He slid his index finger down over the t-shirt, between the cleaves of her breasts, and down to her belly button. "I'm going to fuck you until you break in half. Tear your fucking vagina to shreds," He licked the skin just below the base of her jaw, at her pulse point. "And when I'm done having my way with you, I'm going to drain every last goddamn drop of delicious blood from your tiny little body."

Bella swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in the back of her throat. What the fuck was she going to do. Was this really how her life was going to come to an end? Was there nobody that would come to her aid? She wanted to laugh at herself for being so naive. This wasn't a movie, where the knight in shining armor showed up at exactly the right time to rescue her. This was real life - though supernatural, it was still dangerous, and really messy. And there was no knight. Nobody was coming for her.

"And then I'm going to lay your pale body down on the bed," He continued, interrupting what was probably going to be some of her last thoughts, "And put the roses I got you, on your chest, so that you look just perfect for when your friends find you - dead as a doornail."

A loud growl thundered through the room, making Bella look up over the leech's shoulder. A gray wolf stood undeniably large in the doorway of her bedroom, teeth gnashing and foam spraying in obvious warning. _Embry._ She sighed in profound relief. Thank god! She couldn't believe her knight had actually arrived.

"Oh look!" The bloodsucker smiled, but his eyes remained stony. "Lover boy is here for you..."

 **A/N: Another cliffhanger...**

 **What did you think?**

 **Please excuse any spelling errors. I hurried to get this out before another busy weekend pulls me away from my laptop...**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey guys. Once again, your reviews blew me away. Thank you so much. Here is your next chapter. I do hope you enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 14 – Thrill of the kill**

 **EPOV**

Embry could hear Bella's rapid heartbeat coming from upstairs as the bloodsucker told her what he planned to do to her. She was scared to death. And so was he. A fear so profound, that it made him sick to his stomach, took up residence inside of him at the mere thought of the bloodsucking tick laying anything more than a hand on her. It was the overwhelming need inside of him to protect her, that added fuel to the fire that was his rage.

He prowled slowly – so very silently – up the stairs, careful to skip the creaking second to last step, and consciously fought the urge to simply attack as Bella and the vampire came into view.

When he finally came to a stop at the door to the room, apparently still unnoticed by the vampire, he let the growl he'd been suppressing with all of his might, rip through his chest, and bared his teeth at the bloodsucker as it turned around to face him. The leech was wearing such a smug smile, that Embry consciously had to push down the urge not to rip his head from his stony body right that second. He had to wait. He couldn't make his move yet, while he was on his own. It was too risky for Bella, since Embry had no idea how volatile and unpredictable the leech was.

The fact that he could see Bella – see that she was unharmed as of yet – made his wolf calm back down enough for him to think strategy. He needed to get Bella out of here and into safety, so he could take out the undead tick that had fucked with his plans for tonight. She looked up at him over the leech's shoulder, relief clear as day on her face, and he prayed to god that he didn't let this small, vulnerable woman down. The woman he still wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He couldn't lose her now, when there was finally a glimmer of hope for them.

Where in god's name were the rest of the pack, anyway? He needed them right now, so what the fuck was taking them so long to get their asses over here?

"Oh look! Lover boy is here for you." The vampire spoke up, smiling menacingly. "Don't worry, man," He chuckled, staring directly at Embry. "I'll give her back once I'm done with her. What's left of her, anyway." He shrugged casually, and continued. "I'm a good sharer. Scout's honor." He looked over at Bella and licked his lips like she was something delicious that he wanted to devour. Actually, Embry guessed that was a fairly accurate assesment. That was exactly what the leech wanted to do, and it made his blood boil.

He snapped at the leech in warning, ready for fight - hungry for it, in fact, but all he managed to do was make the pale, burly man – if you could call him that – laughed darkly, once again looking back at Bella. "Your wolf seems pissed, doesn't he?" He addressed her, but didn't wait for her to answer. "Are you mad at me for wanting your girl as much as I do?" He taunted. "And why do I get the feeling that _you_ don't like to share? Hmm?" The leech was still looking at Bella, and Embry could see how scared she was. Her body was trembling where she stood, eyes wide as saucers. "Tell me, how badly do you want to kill me right now? Or don't you mind if I nail her in front of you?"

Embry growled in response. That was exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to kill the son of a bitch and light him on fire, so that he could piss on his ashes afterward as an afterthought.

"It's a pity your pack isn't here for back-up. It makes things way too easy, and I love a challenge." He smirked. "But don't worry, I'll take my time with her - fuck her real good - so if your pack of pups do arrive, they'll be able to witness it too. I bet they like to watch, don't they?" Embry didn't expect the words that came next, and it made his stomach plummet to his feet. "Just like I watched you devour Bella on the couch down stairs in the living room. Such a shame you were too much of a pussy to fuck her. So I guess I'll just have to show you how it's done."

" _We're here, alright."_ Embry heard Paul respond in the shared pack mind, as he moved in next to him, looking ready for a fight.

" _It's about fucking time."_ Embry groused, irritated that it took so long for him to get here, but relieved none the less.

 _"So, are we gonna stand here all day, or are we gonna kill us some leech?"_ Jake joined their ranks as well.

 _"Jesus Christ! Where were you, Jake?"_ He demanded. He had counted on his best friend being the first at his side.

 _"Sorry, Em."_ He apologized, and continued with an explanation. _"My dad just got back from Hawaii, and I was busy making us dinner when I heard your call for help."_

 _"First things first, we have to get Bella out of here."_ Sam said as he, too, arrived, Jared hot on his heels, followed by Seth, Collin and Brady. They were now all present and accounted for, except for the two love birds who were currently probably sucking face over a shared plate of pasta, all the way over in Port Angeles.

The leech's smile evaporated, and was replaced by a look of dread, before he hid it away behind taunting eyes and a smirk that Embry wanted nothing more than to permanently wipe from his face. "Oh goodie." The bloodsucker rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Whole gang's here. This will be fun. Now they can all watch me fuck you to within an inch of your life, before I suck you dry." He said to Bella, and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb. "I'm Emmett, by the way. Just thought we should exchange names before we get down and dirty, don't you think?"

Bella zeroed in on the unwelcome digit against her lip, and bit down hard on the stony finger, though Embry was sure she already knew it wouldn't hurt him. But he loved this woman for thinking she could try.

The vampire pulled his hand back swiftly, and slapped her across the cheek, sending her stumbling backwards, the back of her head hitting the wall next to the window with a nasty crack, effectively knocking her out.

Rage bubbled up inside of Embry as he watched her small, limp body slide helplessly down the wall, sagging onto the floor in a crumpled heap. He felt helpless as he watched her lie there, motionless. She was still breathing, and at the moment, that was the only thing keeping him from completely losing goddamn his mind.

"That was really unnecessary, Bella." The vampire clucked his tongue and shook his head at her, despite the fact that he knew she couldn't hear him.

" _Any suggestions for getting Bella the fuck out of here?"_ Embry asked his fellow wolves, looking at each of them in turn. He was fresh out of ideas and he really needed their help - needed someone to come up with a brilliant idea, before it was too late, and he lost Bella again. For good, this time.

Paul lifted his muzzle and chuffed. _"I have an idea."_ He said, sounding smug. _"It's not much different from the strategy you used last night with the tree."_

 _"Oh sweet Jesus,"_ Sam whined, clearly not liking where Paul was heading with this idea of his. _"Not that again. You lot are going to make me gray way before my time."_

 _"Let's just hear him out, Sam,"_ Jake intervened. _"And if no one else can offer any better ideas, we'll go with Paul's plan."_ He said. _"Depending on how ridiculous the idea is, of course."_

Paul lowered his head in a gesture of thanks for Jake's faith in him, leaving the rest of the pack momentarily stunned. Paul had never done this before. He hated Jake's guts – it was no secret to any member of the pack.

 _"See the window over there?"_ Paul lifted his nose to point to the window.

 _"We can all see it,"_ Jared snarked impatiently, mentally rolling his eyes. It was very uncharacteristic for him to be this irritated, but Embry guessed that he, too, was worked up about the danger Bella was currently in. They all cared deeply for her.

Paul and the rest of the pack chose to ignore his sour mood for now, though, and waited with bated breath for Paul to continue.

 _"I'll phase back, go around the house, climb up the tree outside the window, and grab Bella."_ He explained easily. _"I just need you to distract the leech long enough so I can get her out without being noticed. Think you guys will be able to do that for me?"_

 _"I'm sure we can handle that."_ Sam agreed without missing a beat, not at all opposed to Paul's idea.

 _"Leaving us free to deal with the bloodsucking cunt."_ Embry added, liking Paul's idea more and more as he went over the plan in his head.

"What the fuck are you planning?" The leech accused with narrowed eyes, interrupting their strategizing. "You're too damn quiet not to be up to something."

 _"Just go, already!"_ Sam commanded Paul impatiently. _"Let's not waste any more time than we have to."_

Bella chose the perfect time to regain consciousness, drawing the vampire's attention back to her, and effectively distracting him, allowing Paul to chance to escape unnoticed. She whimpered and rubbed her head, eyes rolling around in her head as she desperately tried to focus on her surroundings.

"Welcome back, beautiful Bella," The leech taunted her in a sickeningly sweet voice. "You had me worried for a moment that you wouldn't be conscious and receptive when I finally fuck you in front of your friends," He chuckled mirthlessly. "You've got a lot of fire in you for such a tiny little thing, and I was really counting on a little resistance from you." He pulled her to her feet by tugging roughly on her arm, causing a collective growl to erupt from the pack. "There is nothing I love more than when my prey put up a good fight. It makes the sex so much better in the end. _Rougher._ " He grabbed her face with one hand, squeezing her cheeks so hard that Embry swore he could see the bruises already starting to form. "Don't you agree, my little sex puppet?"

The leech sniffed the air and turned to look at Embry, eyes glowing with perverted hunger. "Smell that?" He asked. "Best smell in the whole fucking world, that is." His crimson eyes darkened maliciously, and he threw his head back, letting out a barking laugh. "Can you smell her fear, lover boy?" Once again, he didn't wait for a response. "Do you want to know what the best part about this whole situation is?" He jerked Bella closer to him, back turned toward the window, and arched his brows, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Embry growled, trying his best to engage the vampire in order to distract him. Whatever the motherfucker was planning to say next, he knew without a doubt it was going to piss him off even more that he already was. He kept his eyes trained on the leech, while keeping an eye on Paul from his periphery, so the piece of shit didn't suddenly decide to turn around and prevent Paul from escaping with Bella when the time came.

Paul had been waiting in the tree outside the window, biding his time until the right moment came to grab Bella, and was now slowly edging toward the window to get to her.

The leech let go of Bella, and took a step closer to Embry, giving Paul the perfect opportunity to reach in and yank Bella out of the window by her arm.

The bloodsucker obviously enjoyed making Embry mad, and this was why he decided to play along, since it provided Paul with yet another chance to escape.

Bella yelped in surprise as Paul pulled her through the window and into the safety of his arms, causing the leech to fling around at lightning speed as he realized what was happening.

"You fucking played me!" He roared and scrambled over to the window, ready to hunt Paul down in order to get Bella back.

But there was one thing that he forgot about. The cardinal rule when dealing with a pack of bloodthirsty wolves – never turn your back on them.

 _"Let's go for the ankles."_ Jake suggested, extremely excited about the prospect of helping Embry kill the leech. The two of them lunged for the leech's ankles, holding him in place while they planned their next move. _"Fast and rough?"_ He wanted to know. _"Or slow?"_

 _"Really slow,"_ Embry decided. _"Slow and painful. Let's tear him apart limb for limb, until he's just a rotting pile of undead rubble that has to be sweeped up with a fucking broom."_

 _"Mind if I help?"_ Seth chipped in. _"I'd hate to see you two having all the fun."_

 _"I say we should each get a turn."_ Sam voiced his opinion. _"Since Bella is important to all of us, we should all be allowed to get our revenge. Even if it is only one limb each. Or even just a digit or two."_ Apparently he was also dying to give in to the bloodlust that was ingrained in his lupine DNA. It has been years since the pack had a vampire trespass on their land - years since they've had the thrill of a kill, and they all wanted to be a part of _this_ one.

 _"Agreed,"_ Embry spoke up. _"As long as I get to do the honors of ripping the head off at the end."_

" _It's all yours."_ Jake vowed, chuckling darkly.

The vampire squirmed, kicked and cursed in their grip, fingers digging into the plush carpet he was lying on, in an attempt to get away from his attackers.

" _I'll take over,"_ Jared said, sinking his teeth into the leech's calf. _"Go wait your turn like a good dog."_

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella looked up at the man who was carrying her away from the house - away from the danger that lurked in her bedroom. She was surprised and a little disappointed to find that it was Paul and not Embry. "What happened?" She mumbled. "Is it over?"

"It's over alright," Paul chuckled. "They're just finishing up with the leech upstairs."

She looked up at the house, seeing the glow of her bedroom light through the window, but couldn't spot the wolves or the leech. "Did anyone get hurt?" She had no idea if there had been a fight, or if anyone got injured. She hoped they were all okay - especially Embry. She didn't know what she'd do if something happened to him.

"Embry is just fine," He assured her, somehow knowing that she was referring more specifically to Embry. "Pissed off as hell about that thing threatening your life, but he doesn't even have so much as a scratch on him."

"Thank god," She sighed in relief and buried her head into Paul's neck as he carried her to...where was he taking her anyway? For some unfathomable reason, she felt like she wanted to cry. She had no idea if it was the shock of what had happened, or the relief that the love of her life was okay. But the heat coming off in waves from Paul, provided enough familiar comfort to calm her frayed nerves and chased away the aftershock. "I don't mean to sound rude. I'm worried about everyone's safety, but-"

"Yeah, I know," Paul assured her, stopping suddenly to sit down. He kept her on his lap, rubbing soothing circles against her back to comfort her. "You love him, don't you?"

She lifted her head and looked Paul in the eye. He looked back at her with intense curiosity, instead of with judgement, like she had expected he would. Though, she should have known he wouldn't judge her. Even after he had caught Embry and her making out on the hood of a car in the auto shop, he had nothing bad to say. And like he had promised them that day, he hadn't said a damn word to anyone about what he had witnessed. She nodded, though she still felt the need to explain herself. "I love him very much. And I didn't plan for this to happen the way it did."

"Hey," He stroked her hair carefully, taking care not to touch the bump that was throbbing like a neon light on the back of her head. "No judgement."

"You busy feeling up my girl, Paul?"

Bella instantly looked up at the sound of Embry's voice, an ocean of relief washing over her. She wanted to run to him, worm her way into his arms and savor his scent, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming. And yet, she held back. She slid off of Paul's lap, narrowing her eyes at Embry as his words registered with her and ignited a sudden fury in her at his blatant audacity. _"Your girl?"_ She asked in shock and surprise, planting her fists on her hips as she appraised him with a tight lipped stare. How could he go around saying things like that, when just the other night, he had pushed her away so easily with word and deed?

"Yes," He nodded confidently, eyes serious as he stared back at her from just a few feet away. He pushed his hair out of his face and licked his lips before he continued. _"My girl."_

"Did you bump your head during the fight, Call?" She huffed, using his last name like she used to do in the past, when he had made her mad. "I'm pretty sure _Elizabeth_ is your girl." She emphasized the blonde's name, a grimace tugged at her face. Bringing up Elizabeth's name still left a bad taste in her mouth, despite the fact that the blonde wasn't directly to blame for her broken heart. "You know, the one you've been sleeping with this whole time."

Embry chuckled - he was fucking laughing at her. "Elizabeth is not my girl. You are." He said it so easily that it unsettled Bella. Did she miss something? Because he seemed pretty goddamn sure of himself - so cocky.

"No," She shook her head emphatically. "I am _not_ your goddamn girl." She turned around and started to walk away from him, to god knows where. But it didn't matter. She just wanted to get away from Embry and his arrogant smile so she could focus better. He was making it hard for her to think straight when she looked at that beautiful and intoxicating face of his.

"Where do you think you're going, Bells?" He called out. She could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Away from you," She said over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Paul. He was wearing an amused smile, obviously finding the whole exchange between Embry and her funny. "What are _you_ grinning about?" She shot at Paul, narrowing her eyes and daring him to keep that smile on his face.

This made him laugh out loud, and it was starting to piss her off that both men found this situation funny when she didn't. "I just think you're one really stubborn woman."

"Right?" Embry agreed with Paul. "Stubborn to no end. And so cute."

This made Bella swing around, marching purposefully back toward Embry where he still stood on the same spot. She was ready for him - how could he just show up here and call her his girl? He had no right. "I have every reason to be stubborn," She said as she reached him, poking him in the chest - it had no effect on him. It only made his grin widen. "After the night at the bonfire where you said you didn't want me, didn't love me, how can you expect me to believe a word that comes out of that infuriating mouth of yours?"

"Because, silly Bella," He cupped her cheek with his hand, and she tried her best not to lean into his touch. "I was lying through my teeth that night. How could I not love you?"

Bella took a step back, just out of his reach. Her mind was working overtime to process his words. These were the things she had wanted so desperately to hear - and Embry was saying them. _To her._ "I think I must have hit my head harder than I thought. I'm clearly hallucinating."

He took another step closer to her, smirking, eyes deep, intense pools of molten chocolate, drawing her in without her consent. "You're not hallucinating."

She scoffed and looked down at her feet, keeping quiet as she ran his words over and over in her head. 'My girl' and 'How could I not love you?' Was he really being serious? She finally looked up at him after a long minute, burning to know more. She frowned as the words tumbled from her mouth, hoping she didn't regret asking the question. "So, you love me?"

He nodded sharply, smug smirk still intact. "Sure do."

"Why?" She needed to know why he loved her, and not Elizabeth. She heard movement behind her and looked around to find the better part of the pack standing behind her, all watching their exchange with curiosity. He wasn't hiding his feelings from them - not even from Jake, which made her think that maybe he really was serious this time. How had that happened? When had that happened and why wasn't Jake throwing punches at Embry for being so open about his feelings for her?

"Why do I love you?" He repeated her question, the smirk growing into a massive smile on his face. He was so annoying. "That's easy." He shrugged. "Because you have a hell of a big heart. You love everyone you meet - and they can't help but love you back." He took a step closer to her, standing almost flush against her now. She could feel his heat coming off in waves from that muscled toffee skin, and she folded her arms over her chest to stop herself from touching him. She could see the stubble of a beard that had obviously not been shaved this morning, and she could smell his woodsy scent as his breath washed over her face. And those lips - oh god! His eyes darted between hers, a lighter brown than she's ever seen, despite the dark night that surrounded them. "And you're a bit of a dork - you watch Star Wars." His lips brushed against hers for a split second, as he whispered, "Who doesn't love a girl that's a Star Wars fan? Especially one as sexy and jaw-droppingly beautiful as you."

He still had that uncanny ability to turn her into mush and make her weak at the knees. She stood there, heart thumping loudly in her chest, looking up into his intense eyes, with no goddamn idea what to say. How could she deny him? He had a power over her mind and body that she'd never, not in a million years, be able to even begin to fathom. She was simply put, a sucker for Embry Call. And she always would be.

"And another thing," he stroked her cheek tenderly with the back of his hand, "You are such a good cook."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the laugh that forced it's way up her throat and bubbled from over her lips. She hadn't expected him to say this, though she should have. "So typical. Your stomach gets a say too."

* * *

 **EPOV**

He was high as a fuck right now on the adrenaline pumping through his system. He - with the help of his brothers, of course - had just torn a vampire to shreds, effectively stopping the piece of shit from messing with his girl ever again. And to top that, he had just confessed his feelings to Bella, and it looked like she was actually considering his words. There was only one thing that could top the previous events of tonight - if he could take her home, to his bed, and have her sleep in his arms. And yeah, maybe even make love to her too, as arrogant as it sounded. He wasn't going to push it, but he wasn't going to stop it from happening either. _If_ that's where things led tonight. Bella's had a traumatic night, and he wanted to take her home. Keep her safe. They still had lots more to talk about too, but if it were up to him, they would have the rest of their lives to talk.

"If you'll please excuse us, boys," He said, grabbed Bella by the hips and threw her over his shoulder like a caveman, making her yelp in surprise. "We've got a lot to talk about. None of which concerns you lot." He turned away from his pack amidst their cat-calling and howling, and headed toward the front of the house where he'd parked his truck earlier.

"That's it, Call!" Jared shouted. "Show her who's boss." And Paul joined in with nothing less than he expected. "Just make sure to use protection."

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, sounding intrigued and not angry, ignoring the joking comments coming from their friends.

"Home." It was nice to know the pack were okay with him admitting his feelings to Bella. He had honestly expected more judgement. And there surely would be, once he got to talk to Sam at some point. Sam was always the 'Debbie Downer', raining on everyone's parade, but nothing was going to stop him this time. Not anyone's judgement or snarky comments - it had fuck all to do with them.

"Which would be where?" She wondered out loud as they reached his truck. He put her down, opened the passenger door and helped her in. "My place." He said and kissed her briefly on the lips. "Our place. If you want to call it that."

He closed the door, rounded the truck and settled himself behind the steering wheel. She hadn't answered him yet, and when she spoke, it had nothing to do with his question. Or statement, however you wanted to look at it.

"Are you okay?" She wanted to know, rolling her head to the side where it rested against the headrest, to look at him. "Did you get hurt?"

"Nah," He shook his head, meeting her eyes as he turned on the ignition, bringing the truck to roaring life. This was what he loved about her - her concern for others. "I'm fine. How 'bout you?"

"I think I'm okay," She lied, touching the back of her head where it had made contact with the wall earlier. It really hurt.

"You're lying," He called her out on it. He already knew when she was lying. "It's okay to admit it. And I'm here to take care of you now." He pulled away from Leah's house and made a left turn, steering his truck homeward, before speaking again. "I'm not going anywhere." He promised her.

Bella scoffed at his last words, forcing him to look at her. She seemed disbelieving and unconvinced, and he couldn't blame her for it.

"What?" He asked her, feeling a little put out despite expecting her to be weary.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head. "I don't mean to sound rude, but did you say the same thing to Elizabeth too? Did you make promises to her as well? Promises that you didn't keep?"

He felt like a piece of shit for this. Bella still didn't understand the situation. She didn't know the whole story and she didn't understand about Elizabeth's involvement. And until he explained it to her, she had every right to be apprehensive. "Somehow I sense that Elizabeth is a major issue for you."

"Can you blame me?" She shrugged, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and looked away from him, pretending to find the darkness outside more interesting.

"No," He sighed and reached over to take her hand that was resting on her lap, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. "Of course I don't. But I think we should talk about this as soon as we get home."

"Why the wait?" He hated that she was being cold, but worse, he hated himself for being the cause.

"I just feel like you deserve a proper explanation." He offered, "I want to be able to look you in the eye when I tell you everything."

"Is the truth really so terrible, that you feel the need to sit me down to tell me about it?" She turned her head to look at him again, eyes wide and shiny, like she was close to tears. And he instantly understood. She was scared of the truth. Yes, she wanted to know what happened between Elizabeth and himself, but she was scared that it would just hurt her even more.

He didn't let go of her hand, giving it a gentle, but firm squeeze to reassure her. "I don't know?" He answered honestly. "It all depends on how you take it." They were close to his house now, and once they got inside, he was going to make her a cup of tea and make her comfortable, before he told her everything.

"Oh my god," Bella pulled her hand out of his grip, sighed harshly and scrubbed her face with her hands. "I don't think I can do this." She shook her head, maintaining eye contact. "I'm not sure I'll be able to stomach the truth."

"Please Bells, just give me a chance," He begged her. They were so close to getting what they both wanted. He didn't want her to give up. "Please don't push me away again. I told you I love you, and I meant every word."

He slowed the truck down, turning into his driveway after the longest drive he's ever experienced in his life, hoping she wasn't going to bolt as soon as they got out of the truck. "Please?" He asked again when she didn't answer him.

She nodded, unbuckling herself and opening her door. "Okay. I'll listen."

* * *

 **BPOV**

She really shouldn't have been as surprised as she was about the fact that Embry's place looked very much the same as it did when they first moved in together. Or rather, when she moved in with him.

This was the first time she was seeing his place since she landed herself in this reality, and it was almost comical to see that not much was different. Essentially, he was the same person, with the same habits and tastes.

The same worn out carpet greeted her as she stepped inside - the one he had gotten from his parents. No side curtains hung behind the bland, faded blue curtains in the living room, and he had a massive new flat screen and sound system, that emphasized the threadbare couches he had arranged around the room to face said TV. Typical guy.

But this was what she loved about him. This was how she had gotten to know 'her' Embry, and she wouldn't change a goddamn thing about it, or him. It provided her with a sense of warmth and comfort to know that he was still the same guy as the one she fell in love with years ago.

"Why don't you take a seat?" He asked behind her as he closed the front door. "I'll get us something to drink."

She nodded in agreement, heading over to the two-seater, and made herself at home. The place smelled like him - it was her absolute favorite smell in the world. Nothing could compare. It was the untainted smell of Embry Call in it's purest form. But this made an unwelcome thought pop into her mind. All she could smell was him, but could he smell all the other women that have been in his house - in his bed - before? And if they did make up, was he going to make love to her in the same bed where he had fucked all the others, as well? And what if she was just another notch on his belt? What if he was just playing her to get what he wanted from her, before ditching her? Would he also ask her to leave afterward?

"You okay?" He interrupted her depressing thoughts, handing her a cup of tea.

"Thanks," She took it from him, grateful for the warm beverage. She was starting to feel cold, and she didn't know if it was from the shock that was wearing out, or if it was from the dread she felt for the conversation that was looming. "I've been better," She answered truthfully. "I just really want to get this conversation going."

"Fair enough," He said and took a seat next to her, turning to face her. He watched her carefully, like he was assessing her somehow. His dark eyes did a swift sweep of her face and body, before returning to meet her eyes. He lifted a hand, gently stroking her cheeks one by one. "Does it hurt?" He asked through clenched teeth, like he was trying to keep from flying off the handle - his mood a stark contrast to his gentle touch.

"Does what hurt?" She had no idea what he was talking about.

"The bruises on your face." He whispered, keeping eye contact as if he wanted to make sure she was being honest.

She put her hand to her face, applying a little pressure and suppressed a flinch when it did hurt. "Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, "But I'm okay."

"You really are the toughest woman I have ever met, you know?" His eyes softened as he spoke, instantly melting her heart." And you're the only woman I've ever loved."

"I refuse to believe that." She shook her head. He's a big boy - how could he never have loved a woman?

"It's true. I had a crush on you since the first time I met you. But I took a step back when I saw things becoming more serious between you and Jake." He shrugged, "And I guess that's why I slept with all those women - to see if I could feel like that with someone else."

"And did you?" She was scared to hear the answer. What if he had finally felt that way about Elizabeth, but she didn't want him back, and that was the only reason he crawled back to her.

"Nope," He shook his head, looking her dead in the eye. He was being sincere - she could tell, and once again a small flame of hope ignited inside of her. "So I gave up on love, thinking that maybe I wasn't meant to have it."

"What about Elizabeth? I thought you liked her?"

He looked down at his feet all of a sudden, like he couldn't maintain eye contact - not a good sign at all. He balled up his cheeks and blew out a harsh breath, before speaking. "I'm so sorry about that, Bells." He lifted his head, dark eyes filled with pain and regret. "I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that."

"Can you just explain it to me, so I can understand. I've been going crazy, because I have no idea what the hell is going on between the two of you." She demanded. He was avoiding the truth, and she was afraid of how bad the truth actually was.

"Elizabeth is not my girl. Never was." He shook the hair out of his face and leaned in toward her. "She the wife of one of my friends."

Bella's eyes widened at Embry's confession, and she slapped a hand over her mouth in shock, feeling like someone had poured a bucket of ice over her. Did he like messing around with married women? Was that his thing? "Oh god, Embry. No!" She shook her head vehemently, swallowing down the bile that was rising up in the back of her throat. "Tell me you didn't sleep with your friend's wife?"

Embry barked a laugh, but turned serious when her words registered with him. "No!" He held up his hands in defense. "No, no, no. I didn't sleep with her," He assured her. "She helped me to make you think I wasn't interested anymore. That I've moved on."

"What?" She squeaked in disbelief. "Why would you do that?" This almost hurt worse than the idea of him loving Elizabeth. He had hurt her on purpose.

"Because I'm a fucking idiot, Bella." He explained, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "I'm a coward who didn't have the guts to tell you how I really felt. And I didn't want to betray my best friend."

"And why the sudden change of heart?" She wondered. "Why now?"

"Because you and Jake are over. And because I can't go on like this. I need you in my life." His eyes implored her to believe him. "I'm taking what I want this time. I'm not standing back for someone else. _I deserve to be happy, too."_ He took her hand in his, squeezing hard. "We deserve to be happy. Together." He cocked his head to the side, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "If you'll have me, of course."

Her dead heart stuttered back to roaring life inside of her chest at his words. Yes, he'd acted like an asshole - an idiot. And yes, he'd hurt her something fierce, but at least he'd been honest. He'd done it for a good reason. He had tried to be loyal. And how could she fault him for that? It was the kind of quality that you wanted in a lover - loyalty. The whole thing with Elizabeth had taken her by surprise. She couldn't believe that he wanted her, instead of the blonde, and it was like all her dreams just came true as soon as he said that he wanted to be with her.

"Say something, please?" Embry put his hands on either side of her head, tipping it up so that she was looking him in the eye. "Please?" He begged again.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you to say that?" She whispered, eyes locked with his.

"It's only been a few days. A week and a half at best." He grinned.

"Felt much longer than that." She shrugged. He had no idea how long a week and a half felt when you knew you only had two weeks to get the man you loved to love you back. And suddenly she realized that she had accomplished what she had come here to do. She had gotten Embry to fall in love with her. But whether they went back to their old life, or stayed here, she didn't care. All that mattered was that they were together now.

"Weirdo," He chuckled.

"How 'bout you just shut up and kiss me already!" She said, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his lips down to hers in a searing kiss.

 **A/N: What did you think? And fear not, this is not quite the end of this reality (though it's almost back to normal). I think we all deserve some well-overdue lemons first. Next chapter, though. I promise.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: First off, thank you once again for the reviews of the last chapter. I don't know what I would do without them. They're my inspiration to work a little harder on getting the chapters out before any of you die of old age, and I firmly include myself when saying that. Thank you to YankeeGirlNJ and SassYNoleS for helping me with this chapter, offering up some of their own ideas. SassY and I have been discussing the particular content of it, and how it would play out, for a while now. Long before we even reached this point of the story. She helps me sort out my thoughts, because, let's face it, my head is a mess of ideas 99% of the time, and without her, the chapter would just be a scrambled pile of snot.**

 **So, enough about that. Here's the lemon I promised. Be nice, I really did try my best to tie it all together and make it flow as smoothly as I was able to.**

 **Oh, and before I forget, a shout-out to Calyptra for one fuck-awesome review...longest one I've ever received, by far. And for the suggestions. She wanted drama...and so I promised her just a _teensy_ bit. I love a little drama, but I suck at writing it.**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 15 – Pause, play**

Bella squeezed her eyes tightly shut against the blinding light that shone in through the bedroom window, and tried to hold on to the memories of last night for just a little longer. She didn't want to wake up yet. She just wanted to lay here next to Embry, savoring his heat while she replayed their fierce lovemaking over and over in her head without having to wonder about what was going to happen next. Were things going to be awkward when he woke up? And was he going to regret what happened last night, like he had during their other 'encounters'? She didn't want to face reality yet. She was still floating on a blissful cloud and she wanted to stay there for as long as she could.

Last night's kiss had awakened the suppressed passion inside of both of them – a passion they had kept under wraps for so long. And when they finally gave in to it, it was like floodgates being opened. Like a fire roaring to life, consuming them both in its heat and razing them to nothing more than ashes.

 ***flashback to the previous night***

 _Gentle and slow was completely forgotten as they felt like ravenous animals, tugging and ripping at each other's clothes, minds on a single track - satisfying their overwhelming need for each other._

 _Having managed to remove most of their clothes, Embry pulled her roughly into his lap and stood up, purposefully marching them to god knows where... Until she felt her back connecting violently with the wall. His hands squeezed her thighs firmly as she wrapped them around his hips, and he purposefully ground himself into her to let her know of his intentions. Their underwear was the only thing separating them now from what they both craved so urgently, and with one hand, Embry ripped his underwear clean from his body, and pushed her panties to the side. She could feel his strong body trembling with anticipation - she understood how he felt, so well. She was experiencing the same thing - heart beating rapidly, the fast-paced pumping of blood thrumming in her ears, lungs already burning, and body a vessel of neurons that felt every touch, breath and movement so intensely that it threatened to overwhelm her._

 _His body kept her anchored against the wall, one hand skimming the skin of her thigh, while the other traveled south. With the pad of his thumb, Embry circled her clit once, and slid his finger down her very slick mound, dipping it into her oh so very slowly._

 _Bella threw her head back, hitting it hard against the wall, but the pain she knew she should feel, was mysteriously absent, masked probably by the adrenaline pumping through her body as she moaned in approval._ _Before she could comprehend what was happening, he thrust himself so very deeply into her that she cried out in surprise and pleasure, finally having him where she needed him the most. He was obviously done taking it slow, giving her no chance to object - not that she wanted to._

 _She gripped onto him like she was holding on for dear life, letting him have his way with her. There was nothing she wanted more than these rough, needy thrusts he was giving - she needed it like this, too. She needed to know that he wanted this just as badly as she wanted him._

 _As she adjusted to the hard, fast pace that Embry was setting, she loosened her grip a little, and slid her hands over his strong, silky torso, desperate to touch as much of his body as she could – it had been way too long since she felt him under her hands, and she was trying to recommit everything about him to memory. The curve between his muscled back and that perfectly round ass. The rounding of his broad shoulders and the swells of his straining biceps. The rough texture of his beard against her heated skin and the sensual whisper of his calloused hands as he touched her everywhere. Her lips traveled over his chest, tasting his salty-sweet skin, since her hands weren't ready to give up exploring the rest of him, and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to get enough. With every touch and every taste, she needed more - like an addict, craving another and another hit of the finest heroin she could get her hands on. And yeah - she was so fucking high on Embry Call right now. She relished the idea that for now, he was hers, even if she wasn't sure where things were going after tonight. It didn't matter anyway. All that mattered was that she was here with him now._

 _Her hand ghosted slowly down his back, rounding over his tight ass as it flexed and relaxed with every brutal thrust into her, sending her higher and higher toward ecstasy. Her walls burned deliciously every time he forced her body to accommodate his size, and she swore to god that nothing could ever feel as good as having him inside of her._

 _He pulled back for a moment, slowing his thrusts and lowered his head to capture a pert nipple in his mouth. His hot tongue swirled around the sensitive flesh, teeth nipping gently, carefully. "Christ almighty," He panted as he released her pebbled nipple, looking up at her. His eyes were deep pools of liquid slate, looking right through her and into her soul. "Why did we wait so long for this?"_

 _She mumbled her reply, not sure if he could understand her as her words tumbled over lax lips, mind struggling to form any coherent thoughts. Her body was acting and reacting on instinct - it was all pure, animalistic hunger. It was greedy and lustful - carnal sin at its best._

 _"I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of you." He whispered, shaking his hair out of his eyes and biting down on his bottom lip, before resuming his rough, determined pace._

 _The muscles in the pit of her stomach were slowly tensing up - she knew she was close now. And despite the fact that neither of them had bothered with foreplay tonight, the sex was very much at the top of her list, despite having had so much of him long before tonight. Best sex ever, no doubt about it._

 _His hands whispered over her rib cage and down to her hips, giving a squeeze as he went, while his perfect lips captured hers in a white hot embrace, tongue tracing her bottom lip to coax her mouth open, so he could deepen the kiss._

 _She tried to reciprocate the kiss - really did her best - but her looming orgasm was making it hard for her to focus on anything else but the pleasure he was igniting inside of her. She didn't want it to end yet - she wasn't nearly close to being done with him tonight. Would she ever be?_

 _Embry's hips began to undulate unevenly as he moved, hitting a place deep inside of her that sent her eyes rolling to the back of her head and forced a strangled groan from over her lips. This was it, she couldn't hold back anymore. She was standing at the edge of the precipice, ready to jump, but she needed him to follow her down._

 _"Cum with me, Bells," He panted next to her ear and dug his nose into the crook of her neck, taking a deep whiff of her scent before his grip on her hips tightened and he roared out his pleasure into her skin._

 _Without any more coaxing needed from Embry, she jumped, free falling into the abyss of ecstasy as her walls tightened around him and her body grabbed onto him for dear life, trying not to drown in the unbridled pleasure that was washing through every part of her body and stopped at her toes, making them curl as her heels dug into his ass. She cried out his name and squeezed her eyes shut, stars exploding behind her eyelids as she gave in to the mind blowing rapture, just letting herself feel everything. And she knew without a doubt that this was where she wanted to exist - forever held tightly in his arms as he claimed her body._

 _As soon as they were both back on solid ground, panting heavily and no longer floating in limbo on a high of pleasure, he loosened his grip on her and let her slide down to stand on two shaky legs. She held firmly onto his arms, taking a steadying breath as she kept her eyes trained on her feet, instead of looking up at him. She was too scared to find out what was going on in that beautiful mind of his. Too scared that she might find regret in his eyes if she did look at him._

 _"Are you okay?" He murmured, tipping her chin up toward him with a single finger, eyes narrowed into a worried stare that made her relax in an instant. He was just as concerned as she was that the both parties regretted what just happened, so she allowed a smile to touch her lips, and gave him a reassuring nod._

 _"Never been better." She vowed._

 _He let out a harsh sigh of relief, his own smile creeping onto his lips and revealing his dazzling white teeth. "I'm sorry if I was so rough with you, Bells, but Jesus," He pushed his hair out of his face, "I just couldn't help myself."_

 _He slowly stepped back, out of her embrace, moving toward the couch to take a seat, not uttering a word. His eyes raked over her body inch by maddening inch, only coming to a stop as he zeroed in on her legs. A dark, hungry look washed over his face and he licked his lips, gaze unmoving. She had no idea what had captured his interest so completely._

 _"What?" She chuckled and looked down to see what he was staring at._

 _A thick stream of his cum was running down her inner thigh, making her flush with embarrassment. It was not like it had never happened to her before, but this was the first time she had seen him so captivated by it. But as she moved to wipe the thick fluids away with her hand, he growled, making her stop and look up in wide-eyed surprise._

 _"Don't," He commanded with a shake of his head, the deep baritone of his voice making her body erupt in goosebumps and her insides clench with deep-seated need. "Do you have any idea how fucking sexy that is? Seeing you like this. Seeing the evidence and knowing I had you for myself just moments ago." He didn't wait for her response. "Leave it there and get over here."_

 _It only took a nanosecond for her body to respond to this red-blooded male in front of her who was shamelessly displaying his possessiveness, and did just what he asked of her. She slowly walked toward him, biting her lip as he kept his dark eyes trained on her. She had no doubt about his intentions as she looked into his eyes - and even if she was unsure, the evidence of his thick, very hard cock, cleared up any doubts she might have had. He was ready to take her again, even though he had just claimed her body moments before, and it made a thrill shoot through her body. He was equally insatiable and she loved it!_

 _She reached him, standing very still in front of him, waiting for his next move. She could hear her own heavy breathing over the pounding of her pulse in her ears - she was already hungry for him again, and the fact that he was looking at her like he wanted to devour her, made her body tremble with anticipation._

 _Before she could even register what he was doing, he had her perched on the armrest of the couch, spreading her legs wide open. She steadied herself by resting back on her arms, watching him carefully as he looked at her mound with wide, mesmerized eyes, like he was seeing her body for the first time. The sight before her very nearly knocked the breath out of her. And then he disappeared from her view, lowering his head to her slick, swollen lips, licking their combined fluids from where it was leaking out of her._

 _"Oh god," She whimpered, not expecting this at all. She would have thought he'd be repulsed by the taste of his own cum, but the fact that it was mixed with her essence, seemed to bring out the animal in him._

 _He dipped his tongue into her, tasting as much of her as he could. A strangled groan escaped from his lips, sending vibrations straight to her core, making her clench her thighs together around his neck. She was already panting again, tiny beads of sweat breaking out over her forehead as she tried to keep it together. He replaced his tongue with two fingers, gently sliding them into her core, and pumping slowly in and out like he was savoring every minute response her body was giving at his touch. His mouth captured her pulsing clit, warm lips closing around the nub. His heat was making it hard for her to focus, and as he started sucking and licking at the sensitive flesh, her fingers curled into the material of the armrest, trying desperately to anchor herself against the onslaught of another round of mind-numbing pleasure. It was all too much, but yet not nearly enough. She wanted everything he was giving her, and more. So much more. She wanted to leg go, give in and self-destruct from sheer euphoria. It was overwhelming to comprehend, but she felt like she wanted to be consumed by him - body and soul - she wanted to be a part of him in every way possible._

 _He curled his fingers deep inside of her and bit down on her clit, making her writhe and squirm deliciously underneath him. He was the only one who could make her cum within a matter of mere minutes, and tonight was no different. She sucked in a whooping breath as another exhilarating round of bliss pulled her under, forcing a loud moan of pleasure from deep within her body, as her walls clenched around his fingers with a pulsing rhythm._

 _She had barely recovered, mind still foggy and eyes bleary, before he stood up, cradling her against his body and walked them out of the living room and down the passage toward his bedroom. She almost didn't have enough energy to take in her surroundings as he pushed the door open with his shoulder and carefully carried her to the bed, sitting down with her still firmly in his arms, and scooted up to the middle of the bed. He lay down gently, pulling her tired and trembling body onto his, still very much aroused._

 _She barely registered as two warm hands lifted her hips and lowered her slowly down onto his throbbing cock, sliding into her inch by maddening inch, until she was fully seated on him. With langorous movements, he lifted her up and down onto him, taking what he wanted from her as her lax body simply complied. She wanted whatever she could get from him, even if she had no more energy to take it for herself. He was in slow, delicious control of her, and she had never felt more at ease with handing over the reins to her body, than she did right in this moment._

 _"God, you're so beautiful like this, my Bella," He sighed, luminescent eyes trained solely on her as he continued to guide her body up and down. He planted the softest kiss against her hair and stroked her cheek. The tenderness of his gesture made her insides smoldered as she drifted on a blissful cloud, welcoming the pleasure he provided so easily. "Breathtaking." He palmed a breast in a large, russet hand, now keeping her steady as he bucked his hips into her._

 _She couldn't believe that this was real - she had spent the better part of two weeks praying that they would end up back here, together again. It wasn't about the sex - though she would never deny him, never complain - she just wanted him. She wanted their old life with it's up's and downs, good and bad times. They could handle anything life threw their way, as long as they faced it together. She wanted everything with him and she wanted to give him everything he wanted; wanted to make him a father many times over, and she wanted to let him mark her when he finally felt ready for it. And as they both came loudly together, she buried her face into the crook of his neck and prayed that they could go back to their old life, just before blessed sleep pulled her under._

 ***End of flashback***

Embry stirred next to her, and she new it was time to face reality. Popping open just one eye, she scanned his bedroom, curious to see what it looked like. Last night had taken too much out of her, and she never really took notice of this room. Call it morbid curiosity, but she had an overwhelming desire to see the bedroom where he had taken all of his previous lovers - the bedroom where this god of sex was king.

She frowned as the navy and gray curtains billowed from the wind blowing through the window. He had the same curtains they had in their home. Even the covers were the same, she realized when she looked down at herself, still fully clothed in her bugs bunny pajamas, covered up by the dark blue duvet. And that's when it dawned on her that this wasn't Embry's room. This was _their_ room. _Their home._

"You still mad at me, Bella Call?" Embry whispered from behind her, stroking her back that was still turned toward him.

Bella flung around at the sound of his sleep-roughened voice, a massive smile of relief breaking out over her face as she dove toward her husband, flinging her arms around his broad, silky shoulders. She dug her nose into the skin just below his jaw and breathed in his comforting scent. There were no more doubts and worries. She had him back for good, and this time she was going to appreciate him for the incredible man that he was. There were still a few things that needed to be discussed, issues to iron out, but she was certain they could manage to talk through it.

"Hey," He said and pulled back to look at her, "You're trembling." His concerned eyes darted between hers and a frown puckered his brow. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, suddenly overcome with emotion. "Nothing," She assured him, voice cracking as she held back her tears. "Just a really bad dream." She wasn't sure about the truth of her words. Had it been real, or was it just a dream? The vivid memories of the last two weeks were ingrained in her mind like she'd actually lived through them. But was it possible? Did she really transition between two different universes?

Embry blew out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair as he lay back on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling with a severe frown. "Yeah," He nodded almost imperceptibly. "Tell me about it."

She watched him closely, trying to figure out what he meant. There was no way that he knew, was there? No way that he had experienced exactly the same thing.

"I had a bad dream too," He explained when he saw she clearly wasn't following. "You have no idea how crazy it was. And you know how a dream normally starts to fade the more you think about it, and the details slowly but surely become harder to grasp?"

She nodded, knowing all too well what he meant by that.

"Well, this one is nothing like that. I remember every detail of this dream, like I'd actually experienced it for real. It was so vivid - felt so real."

She chuckled darkly, scooting closer to him. "Yeah, I do know, Em. I know exactly what you mean."

"What was your dream about?" He wanted to know, brown eyes curious as he stroked her hair and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. How did she answer his question, without sounding like a total nut?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," She assured him. "It's going to sound crazy at best."

"Try me," He challenged with an arched brow. "After what I dreamed last night, it's gonna take a fucking truckload of crazy to shock me."

Bella pushed herself up into a sitting position, twirled her hair up into a messy bun and reached for the hair clip on the night stand to keep her hair in place. "After our fight the other night - or last night, since I have no idea how much time has elapsed since this dream, or whatever the hell it was - I found myself waking up in a different life, where I learned the hard way that we weren't married." She peeked up at Embry to see if she could gauge his reaction. His face gave nothing away, waiting patiently for her to continue. "I was married to Jake." Again, she watched his for a reaction. Other than an almost imperceptible widening of his eyes for a split second, he still remained cool. "And you were some kind of bachelor, who probably slept his way through half of the female population in the Pacific Northwest. _Everything_ was different, Em." She explained. "Leah and Quil weren't married either, Paul and Rach had a baby, and Emily gave birth to a beautiful baby boy near the end of the dream." She frowned, "If you could call it that," She shrugged. This was way too complicated to explain properly. "And my dad and Sue... Would you believe me if I told you they were married?"

Embry didn't answer, still listening carefully to everything she was telling him. So far, he hadn't laughed at her or mocked her for sounding crazy, which was a good sign, she supposed. Unless they were both a little nuts.

"Oh, and I wasn't and editor. I had a small but successful bookstore," She added. "And you were part-owner of an auto shop with Jake."

"Would you believe me if I said it sounds exactly like the dream I had?" He asked. "But, it was like I was trapped in the body of a philandering me, and I couldn't get out. I was witnessing everything from his eyes, and I wanted to reach out to you, but I just couldn't."

"Of course I believe you, babe." She assured him. Somehow, they had both landed themselves in this alternate reality, even though Embry claimed not to have been an active participant. "There is something else that I need to tell you, though. But I don't want you to be mad at me for it." She had no idea how Embry would react to this particular snippet of information, but she felt too guilty to keep it a secret. If they were going to start anew, move on and work on their marriage, she had to come clean about everything. "I slept with Jake in this other life," She grimaced, scared to look at her husband for fear of seeing the betrayal in his eyes. "And I'm so sorry about it. I know I should have said no. The first time it happened, I didn't even know it was him."

Embry's jaw was tight when he spoke after a minute of strained silence, and his words filtered out through clenched teeth. "How the hell did you not know it was Jake?"

"The first time it happened, I had my back toward him." She explained, trying to remedy the situation. "You have to understand that I didn't expect it to be him. I had no idea that it wasn't our life." She sighed harshly. "I mean, Christ, who would? I thought I was still in bed next to you, and that you simply wanted to have make up sex after the previous night's fight."

"Did you like it?" Her stomach dropped as he asked the question she had hoped he would never ask. He sounded cold and detached, and it scared the living daylights out of her. They had just gotten back to normal, and by telling Embry the truth, she might have just ruined everything. She completely understood why he was angry. If the roles had been reversed, she would have blown her fucking top. Up until that dream, or reality, or whatever the fuck it was, Embry had been her first and only, and hearing her tell him that she had slept with his best friend - made the conscious choice to do so - seemed to piss him off more than anything. "I mean, since you slept with him more than once."

"I don't know," She gave him a pathetic answer. What was she supposed to tell him?

"How can you not know, Bella?" His voice was low and clear, a sure indication that he was beyond angry with her. "You either liked the sex, or you didn't. So which was it?"

Frustrated tears sprang up in her eyes as she thought about how she was going to answer his question without making it worse. She was scared to to say yes. The sex with Jake had been good, sure, but it wasn't nearly as good as any of the sex Embry and she'd had in the past. And that's exactly how she explained it to him. He was forcing an answer out of her, and if he wanted the truth, he had to deal with the truth, no matter how brutal it was.

"Jesus," He raked a hand through his hair, looking shocked and revolted all at once by her answer. "I can't believe it." He looked at her with so much reproach that it very nearly made her cower in shame. "You could have told him no, Bella. If you really didn't want to have sex with him, you _would_ have said no. But you didn't."

And suddenly, anger flickered to life inside of her. She couldn't take the blame for everything that happened. He had a massive part in all of this, too. "You know, Embry, you're blaming me for sleeping with Jake, but did you even consider your part?" She leaned closer into him, challenging him. "If you had marked me, like you were supposed to, like the council had told you to, none of this would have happened."

His eyes widened in shock. It was comical to see how oblivious he thought she was to the whole 'marking' issue.

"Yeah, that's right." She nodded slowly, a taunting smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. "You thought I didn't know, did you?"

"Hang on." He held up a hand, interrupting her. "So let me get this straight. You're blaming me for the fact that you slept with Jake?"

"No, of course not." She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm just saying that if you had marked me, I wouldn't have been placed in the position to accept or decline his advances, to begin with."

"You make it sound like I didn't consider the consequences before making the decision not to mark you." He defended himself. "You have no idea what a tough decision it actually was? Every time we had sex, every time you were close to me, I had to consciously stop myself from giving in to that overwhelming physical desire to mark you. It's not just some bullshit choice - the wolf compels the man to mark his mate. I can't even remember when exactly the provocative desire reared its ugly head. If I think back on it now, it feels like it's always been there, though I'm pretty sure it only started after we had sex for the first time. It sure as hell wasn't there before I met you - when I had slept with those other girls. And that's how I knew you were different. My wolf had never wanted anyone as much as it wanted you. _I_ never wanted anyone as much, and I knew without a doubt that you were the one for me. It felt like forever, but with time it became easier to control the urge. It's still there now, simmering just below the surface. I'm constantly aware of it, but back then it literally took up ninety percent of my goddamn thoughts. It was all I could think about, and I came so close to giving in on way too many occasions than I could count. So, don't, not even for a second, think that I didn't want to mark you."

Bella opened her mouth, ready to tell him that she never would have blamed him for giving in to the instinct. If she knew about it then, she would have told him to go ahead and do it. But he held up his hand to stop her.

"The day I went to the council to tell them of our engagement, they kept going on about how I needed to mark you. They explained to me that the wolf chooses it's mate, and when the mate happens to be an outsider, a frenzy begins. A frenzy to claim his mate, in an attempt to keep her to himself. To prevent losing her. Without the mark of the wolf, the risks involved could be severe. They said the mark would prevent some weird curse from setting in, if one day you reconsidered the choice you made to be with me. If you weren't happy with me anymore. And like the fool I am, I wanted you to have a choice." He closed his eyes, the muscle in his jaw ticking as he clenched his teeth, taking deep breaths to calm himself. When he finally opened his eyes again, he seemed calmer, jaw relaxing slowly. "Is that so terrible of me?" He looked at her with large, watery eyes - pain and regret written all over his face. His voice cracked as he continued, "I loved you _enough_ to let you go if you weren't happy. I sure as hell wasn't about to trap you."

"I love you too, Embry Call. More than anything." She assured him, scooting closer to him as she spoke. "But I would never have felt trapped. And it fucking hurts to find out from someone else that your husband chose not to mark you. When old Quil told me that you knew about the consequences and still refused mark me, it made me feel like I wasn't important enough to you. I'm your wife and you have every goddamn right to be selfish with me. To want to claim me for yourself." She cupped his face between her hands, needing him to understand - imploring him to hear what she was trying to tell him. "It's only natural and I never would have blamed you or thought less of you for it."

He pulled away from her and looked down at his large, fisted hands. "Yeah, you say you wouldn't have felt trapped, but you ended up where you did _because_ you had doubts. And as far as selfish goes, I wanted nothing more than to be selfish - to keep you all to myself. But that's just it, Bella. I do love you enough - so much, that I just want you to be happy, regardless of what that would mean for me. Even if it meant you ending up with some other guy."

How the hell could she fault such selflessness? How could she be mad at him for loving her so much that he would give her up in a heartbeat, as long as it meant she was happy? She was so lucky to have such a good man as her husband. A man she could be proud of. "I'm sorry, baby," She whispered against his lips. "Me having those doubts doesn't mean I don't love you. I was just so worried that you didn't want me anymore. I even thought there was a possibility that you were cheating on me. It felt like we were drifting apart. You were never home anymore, and when you were, you seemed distant. And here I was, making an effort to surprise you with a nice anniversary dinner. And when I realized you had forgotten about it, I got angry and scared. I was worried that you were going to leave me, and that I'd have to raise our child on my own.

"Finally," He sighed, a breathtaking smile breaking out over his face.

"What do you mean, finally?" She couldn't understand why he was smiling. She'd just poured her heart out - told him that she'd thought he was going to leaver her, and here he was, looking stupidly handsome with that annoying smile on his face, not giving a rat's ass about her concerns.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to tell me that you're pregnant?" His question caught her off guard. Right - she'd just let the cat out of the bag, without intending to.

"You knew?" She gaped at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, of course I knew." He chuckled, eyes dancing with mirth. Two strong hands pulled her into his lap, before he kissed the top of her head. "I just didn't want to ruin your moment."

"How?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at him. She hadn't told anyone about it. Not even Leah, so there was no chance of someone telling him.

"I could hear the baby's heartbeat. And that's why I've been so busy. I've been working on a crib as a surprise for when you finally told me the news."

"How long have you known?" She was curious to find out if he knew before she even did. If he'd been keeping the secret right alongside her.

"About three weeks now. Remember that day I came home from work and found you hugging the toilet, and you said it was probably something you ate?" He asked, awarding her with the most endearing smile she's ever seen. "That's when I connected the dots. I've been hearing these strange little thump-thumps every time you were in the same vicinity as me, and initially, I thought I was going crazy. I had no idea what it was. But that day, it finally made sense. I thought, hey, if my wolf ears could hear my own wife's heartbeat, why wouldn't it be possible to hear my child's as well? And all the nausea and fatigue you'd been experiencing, finally added up. But I knew it was a 'girl thing' to want to surprise your husband, so I let it go until you realized what was going on. Until you were ready to tell me.

"I wanted to tell you on our anniversary."

"Shit," He rubbed a hand over his face, the intentions behind the dinner finally dawning on him. "No wonder you were so mad at me."

"Can we just forget about what happened and move forward from here?" She begged, done with fighting. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. "I'll never cheat on you again, though I still don't think what happened in that 'dream' counts as actual cheating." She took his hands in hers and rubbed her thumbs over the silky skin. "And I promise I'll stop being such a paranoid and over-emotional hag, and have a little more faith in you." She grinned. "And you can man-up and promise to mark me. Soon. What do you say, hmm?"

"Man-up, huh?" He grabbed her by the shoulders, his signature dark smirk hitching his lips up at the side, and he flipped them over so he was on top of her. He dragged his nose from her ear down to her pulse point, inhaling her scent. His tongue darted out to lick at her skin, before he grazed his teeth across that same spot, grinding his erection into her. "You want me to do it now?" He whispered in her ear. "Because I will," He warned playfully. "I'll have my way with you right here, right now and when that first wave of pleasure hits your body, I'll sink my teeth into your skin and mark you as mine. Make it permanent."

Bella whimpered as he challenged her. She knew that he would do it if she asked him to. And now was as good a time as any. She opened her mouth to tell him to go ahead, when two tall, dark-haired Quileutes barged into their bedroom unannounced, making Embry and her look up in surprise.

"Oh fuck!" Quil slapped his hand over his eyes and grimaced. "Dude," He said to Jake. "I told you we should have knocked."

Jake shrugged, not bothered that he'd just interrupted what could have been a really good round of make up sex, with a well and truly overdue marking ritual thrown in at the end. "Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, mate. I know you must be starving," He grinned arrogantly at them, "But you need to get ready. There'll be plenty of time to eat later. We need to leave before our spot gets taken."

"Go where?" Embry pushed himself up and off of Bella, cocky enough to not even try and hide his boner. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Fishing!" Quil explained exasperatedly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten already?" He frowned for a moment, before focusing his attention on Bella. "Congrats by the way? Pregnancy suits you."

"You told him?" Bella turned to Emrby, slapping him on the shoulder for not being able to keep his mouth shut.

"No, no, no." He shook his head vehemently, lifting his hands in defense. "I never said a word to anyone."

"It's true." Quil agreed, backing Embry up. "I can hear the baby's heartbeat." He tapped his ear and proudly puffed out his chest. "Know the sound pretty well by now, since I got the old bitch at home knocked up too." He held up his hand to Embry for a high five, both men looking particularly chuffed at having such successful swimmers, and perfect timing to boot. "Not every day that you get to experience pregnancy along with your best friend, right?"

"Leah's pregnant, too?" She wanted to know, ignoring the fact that he referred to her friend as 'the old bitch'. It was his term of endearment for her, since he claimed that, essentially, Leah was a bitch. He always maintained that she-wolf just didn't have the desired effect that he was looking for when referring to his tennacious wife.

"It's not knocked up if you're married," Jake chipped in. "Then you just say you got her pregnant."

"I like saying knocked up," Quil shrugged. "It sounds dirty." He wagged his eyebrows at Bella, and she couldn't help but laugh at the antics of these three men.

"So, are you gonna get ready, or do I have to drag you away from Bella by force?" Jake clearly wasn't giving up on getting Embry to join them for the day.

"I'm staying in, guys," Embry declined easily. "Sorry, but I need some alone time with my wife."

"You can jump her bones as soon as we get back," Jake said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like she's going to disappear."

Bella turned her head to look at Embry, just in time to see an amused smile flashing across his face, before it disappeared to be replaced by a frown. And in that moment, she knew exactly what was going through his mind. One, he was worried that she might just disappear, since he hadn't marked her yet. And two, having Jake stand in front of him, made him remember that she'd just told him she had sex with his best friend (whether it really happened, or was just a dream). And she knew how hard it must be for him to leave her right now.

"I agree with Jake, babe." She rubbed his thigh to comfort him. "I'll be right here when you get back," She subtly assured him. "And then we have the rest of the night to indulge in each other. Besides, I have some things I want to discuss with Leah."

"You sure?" He seemed more at ease with the idea, now that she promised not to disappear again.

"Yeah, go have fun." She insisted and pretended to shoo him from their bed.

"Just don't tell Leah that I let the wolf out of the bag." Quil requested of her, probably afraid of the wrath that would come raining down on him if his wife found out that he couldn't keep his mouth shut. "She's been dying to tell you herself."

"I'd never throw you under the bus like that, Quil." She promised. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

Embry and Jake snickered, knowing full well how afraid Quil was of a vexed Leah Ateara. In fact, Bella was sure _everyone_ on the Reservation was afraid of the she-wolf and her hair-trigger temper, since none of them were brave enough to test Leah, except Quil, maybe. And he usually never did it intentionally, either.

 **A/N: What did you think? And do any of you know what Bella wants to discuss with Leah, aside from the both of them being pregnant?**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This chapter is way overdue, I know. But I struggled to write it, for some reason. I know some of you were a little upset with Jake and Quil for barging in on Bella and Embry in the previous chapter. But that's the ridiculous interaction the pack members have. No respect for privacy. Thank you guys for waiting so patiently. Here is the second to last chapter. Please enjoy. xxx**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 16 – Bite me**

 **EPOV**

Embry lead his friends out of the house with the pretence of going fishing with them, and so far he'd managed to convince them he was going. He'd even dressed the part - shoes 'n all.

"Look, guys," He stopped at the door as his friends made their way down the porch, expecting him to follow. "I know I said I'd go fishing with you, but right now I need to be with my wife. We have things to discuss and I'm sorry, but it just can't wait."

"You're not serious?" Jake stopped short and turned around, gaping at him in slack-jawed horror. "You're ditching us to have sex?"

Quil didn't seem too upset - he was a go with the flow guy and nothing could ever really make him angry. He also knew what it meant to want to be with your wife. What it meant to put her first. Jake still had to find himself a girlfriend. Not that he was actively looking. He seemed content with his life up to this point. His duties kept him busy, and so did helping Rachel take care of his father. He had friends who kept him busy and filled the void that would otherwise have been gaping.

"I'm very serious." He shrugged, "And I'm not ditching you for sex, I'm ditching you to spend time with my wife. But even if it was just about having sex, it's got nothing to do with you. So, have fun boys." He waved, closed the door and turned the key, locking them out. Locking the door was more of a statement than a safety precaution, because, let's face it, if they wanted to come in again, they could break down the door or climb in through the window. Either way, they were going to have to drag him out by his hair to get him out of the house. There was no way he was letting Bella out of his sight without marking her first. He'd been stupid not to mark her in the first place, almost losing her for good. And he wasn't making the same mistake twice.

When he finally heard Jake's truck drive away, he was satisfied that he could go upstairs and continue their conversation...

He found Bella stretched out in bed, hand on her stomach, talking to their baby. She hadn't noticed him yet, so he stopped at the door, leaning against the frame, just watching her. It was probably the most beautiful sight in the world watching her whisper sweet little words and promises to their unborn child, and he simply couldn't imagine a life without her. Without them. If he lost everything but still had Bella and their baby, he'd be the happiest man alive.

"Talking to yourself again, hmm?" He asked after a few minutes and walked over to their bed, wearing a smile that he just couldn't seem to wipe from his face.

"Hey," She looked up, wearing a frown. "What are you still doing here? I thought you were going out?"

"Did you really think I was gonna leave, and risk losing you again?" He pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his pants, kicking them to the side. "We weren't done with our discussion."

A breathtaking smile broke out on Bella's face and she sat up, holding out her arms. "Get over here you nerd."

Embry complied without hesitation, slowly crawling onto the bed, keeping his eyes trained on Bella as he pretended to stalk her, and she squealed playfully as he growled at her. He pinned her down on the bed, caging her between his arms as he hovered over her, and dragged his nose down the skin of her neck, breathing in her addictive scent. "God, you smell so good, baby." He nipped at her neck - the exact spot where he was planning to mark her. But before he could do just that, he had to explain to her what the process entailed, so she knew exactly what to expect.

"Is that where you're going to mark me?" She panted softly, stroking her hands lazily up and down his back. Her breasts rose and fell with every labored breath, catching his eye. He wanted to rip the dorky Bugs Bunny shirt from her body, so he could see the milky flesh that was hidden beneath - silky skin that dared him to have just the tiniest taste. The provocative scent of her arousal oozed from her body in waves, intoxicating him and making him feel lightheaded with desire.

He wanted...and he was gonna take...

"That's the spot, yeah," He nodded, trying to keep his wolf at bay for just a little while longer so he could savor everything. "But there is something you need to understand first, before we go ahead with this."

She nodded, looking up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"You have to ask me to mark you." He explained to her, looking deep into those warm chocolate eyes of hers. "But just know that when you do, I won't be able to control the wolf. He's going to take over, and then there'll be nothing I can do about it, until the marking is done."

"Will the wolf hurt me?" She looked a little apprehensive, and it almost made him want to stop this silly process, and just make love to her instead, like he usually did. He could continue his life without marking her, but at the risk of her disappearing again. The pain and struggle that came with refusing his wolf what it wanted the most, was something he could handle - he'd been doing it for so long already. But he wouldn't survive losing her and the baby.

"The marking will hurt, yeah." He gave her an honest answer. He wanted her to know exactly what to expect. "But the wolf will never hurt you on purpose. It's going to be rough with you, though. Licentious and completely relentless in it's mission to take what it wants from you. We're not gonna be making love."

She took a moment to think, eyes firmly locked with his as her mind processed the information - he would give her a thousand minutes if that's what she needed - and nodded slowly. "Okay. I understand."

"Are you really sure about this, Bells? Is this what you want or are you just doing this because it's what you think I want?" He had to check. He didn't want her resenting him for it when all was said and done.

"It's what _I_ want," She smiled and placed a hand over her heart. "It's what I _need_."

Embry felt immense relief at the words, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Finally, all the inner turmoil, all the struggle, was going to disappear. No more holding back. He could just love her, knowing that she was his for the rest of his life. Now, she just had to say the words.

Bella hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him to her for a kiss. It was slow, deep and searing, and she tasted like sin. So fucking good. He simply couldn't help the groan that tumbled from his lips, and felt her smile in response, before nipping at his bottom lip. She was the one to break the kiss, and tenderly stroked his cheek before speaking the words that his wolf had been waiting for, for years. "Mark me, Embry. Please?"

It only took a nanosecond for his body to respond. At first, it felt like napalm exploded in his veins, a surge of heat pumping through his body, spreading to every muscle and every digit, almost like he was going to phase, but not quite. For a moment, his vision blackened to midnight, and when he blinked his eyes, he could see again. But it was like he was a spectator, watching as his body moved without his consent. The wolf was in control and he had nothing to do with it, just as the elders had explained it to him. He was simply going along for the ride, desperately praying to the gods that the animal didn't hurt Bella.

His hands shot out and roughly gripped Bella's hips, fingers curling into the soft flesh that peeked from under her pajama top, and effortlessly flipped her over onto her stomach. This was something he should have expected. This was how the wolf - the animal - wanted it. And like he had promised Bella, nothing about this was going to be sweet and gentle. They were going to fuck, simple as that.

He watched as his hands - not controlled by him now, but by his wolf - grazed over her fully clothed body. The animal wasn't happy about the fact that Bella was still dressed, and he roughly yanked her pajama bottoms down and tossed them to the side without a second thought. Next, he tore the poor Bugs Bunny sleep shirt in half at the back, letting it slip down her arms and pool at her sides where she was digging her hands into the mattress to try and hold herself steady for what she probably knew was coming.

The wolf dragged his tongue down Bella's spine, tasting her creamy skin while his hands skimmed over the silky soft globes of her ass and growled. He wanted more - wanted to see everything of his mate. He pulled her hips up, letting her rest on her hands and knees in front of him, and pushed her head down, making it hang low between her shoulders, before he pulled back to get a visual of her glistening mound, satisfied that she was so ready for him already.

His tongue darted out for a taste of his mate. He needed to taste - felt compelled to, and dragged his tongue over her sensitive lips, growling at the feeling of ecstasy her honey-jasmine essence imbued within him.

And then he claimed her body with one swift thrust, making her cry out and burrow her face into the pillow. But Embry was surprised by the languid thrusts of the wolf as it started moving inside of her. This was not what he had expected. Not how the council had explained it to him. According to them, the wolf was merciless when mating with the intention of marking its mate. Rough and unforgiving. But somehow, his wolf was pumping himself into Bella with hard, lazy bucks of his hips, like he somehow knew she was carrying his child. Like he didn't want to harm Bella or his offspring.

He could feel everything, smell everything, see everything - the muscles of her walls as it fluttered around him with each thrust his body gave into her. He could feel her body tremble with pleasure and he could see the dewy beads of sweat shimmering on her skin as the late morning sun cast its rays over them. He could smell her scent growing stronger with each thrust - she was enjoying this, a lot. And even if he couldn't smell her peaking arousal, her muffled moans into the pillow sure was testament enough.

Bella pushed her hips back into him impatiently, over and over, like she was asking for more. Begging, even. And the wolf complied without hesitation, increasing his pace slowly, like he wanted to make sure she would be able to handle it, despite her eagerness. But she took him like a champ, meeting him thrust for thrust, and he could feel her impending orgasm growing ever closer. He could see her white-knuckled grip on the sheets, muscles in her arms straining, body tense as she tried to delay the inevitible.

And then the time arrived - the time he and his wolf had been waiting for. When Bella's body simply couldn't seem to hold out any longer, she exploded around him, walls tightening like a vice around his cock, compelling him, begging him to follow, with pleading cries of her own.

The wolf licked his lips and zeroed in on his target, baring his teeth. It was now or never. And with a deep growl, he emptied himself into her and lowered his mouth to the crook between her shoulder and neck, and sunk his teeth into her.

Bella whimpered and gasped as his sharp teeth cut through her silky flesh like a hot knife through butter, finally marking her as his mate for life. The animal pulled back to assess its handiwork, watching as small pearls of blood pooled at the spot where angry purple, crescent-shaped teeth marks sat in two almost identical strings at the base of her neck, just above her shoulder. It was done, and nothing was going to come between them anymore. They had forever to look forward to, now.

* * *

 **BPOV**

Bella had decided to walk over to Leah and Quil's place by herself, since it was rare to find the weather so perfect. And as she did, she couldn't help but think back to the events of yesterday. The marking had created this weird bond between Embry and her - it was almost tangible. Whenever she was near him, she felt calm and relaxed, but the further away she went, the more uncomfortable she got. It was like her heart was being tugged at, almost like it was compelling her to turn around and go back to Embry. To never leave his side. He'd said that it was perfectly normal. It was something they'd have to get used to, and the discomfort would ease with time, though never completely subsiding. She had noticed it from the moment she'd set her foot out the door. It had taken her three attempts before she'd finally decided to endure this strange feeling, and just leave the house to go see Leah.

She had spent the better part of twenty hours in bed with Embry, mostly sleeping or cuddling. The marking had drained a lot of their energy, and rest had been a requirement. And if she had thought the sex had been great before, she had been sorely mistaken. It had been even better last night and this morning, but unfortunately they couldn't stay in bed forever. There were still things that needed to be said and done. She still had a mission of sorts to complete, and she needed Leah to be her accomplice. So far, nobody, not even Embry, knew about her plan. And she was going to keep it that way. The less people knew, the less interference there would be from outside parties.

Embry had gone over to Jake's to make up for dropping him yesterday. She knew he didn't feel guilty for ditching his friends to be with her instead - sometimes there were more important things than going fishing - but Embry had known Jake would be pouting, and he had to go make nice for his best friend's sake.

Bella had to go talk to Leah about a plan that had been cooking in the back of her mind, but she was also curious to hear her friend tell her the good news about her pregnancy. In her wildest dreams, she had never thought she'd be lucky enough to have the opportunity to go through her first pregnancy right alongside Leah, as they experienced all the crazy and beautiful stages together.

"Knock knock!" Bella called out as she entered Leah's house, pulling the screen door shut behind her with a sharp clack. It was quiet inside - no sign of the she-wolf - and she wondered if perhaps her friend had decided to take a late morning nap. God knows, lately she also had a hard time finding enough energy to get through the day without a nap. The little one in her belly was draining her dry of her usually abundant energy supplies.

Leah shuffled into the living room after another minute, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a little messy and her one cheek was pinker than the other, and Bella knew she had interrupted her friend's sleep.

"Hi. Sorry," Leah apologized, still groggy, and dragged a hand sloppily over her face to help herself wake up. "I didn't know you were coming over. I was a little tired, so I decided to take a nap. Quil is out and I had to take advantage of the peace and quiet."

"Strange," Bella said, narrowing her eyes at Leah while pretending not to know about her friend's 'situation'. "You never take naps. Well, not these kinds of naps. You're usually having sex if you're still in bed this late in the morning."

"You have to admit that 'sex naps' are the best, though." She grinned deviously at Bella.

"I don't fully agree these days, you know." Bella explained, trying to coax Leah into an admission, but also subtly hinting at her own pregnancy. She knew her friend was astute enough to catch on sooner or later. "Lately I've really been enjoying the kind of naps where I actually get some sleep in."

Leah cocked her head to the side and frowned as she assessed Bella for a moment. Her dark eyes seemed to look right through Bella. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounds a hell of a lot like you're pregnant. Because you were never an avid napper either."

"Maybe..." Bella shrugged cryptically. "But then that would mean that you're pregnant too. Because with all your wolfy abundance of energy, you're rarely tired enough to require a late morning nap."

Leah kept her eyes trained on Bella, not saying a word, and she wondered what was going through the she-wolf's mind, until her eyes widened comically. "Oh my god! You are pregnant!" She exclaimed. "I can hear the baby's heartbeat." The smile on her face told Bella everything she needed to know. Leah seemed truly happy for her.

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Bella teased. "Quil knew immediately when he saw me this morning."

"I didn't notice it at first." She shrugged. "Thought I was hearing my own baby's heartbeat. But now that I know, I can distinguish between yours and mine."

"So, you are pregnant then?"

"Yeah," She awarded Bella with a face-splitting smile. "I'm pregnant too." She closed the short distance between them, and pulled Bella in for a hug, voice uncharacteristically teary and small. "I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't seem to find the right time. And I had to tell Quil first, but the bastard beat me to it. Told me he could hear the baby's heartbeat."

"Same with Embry, but at least he had the decency to wait until I told him myself." Bella explained and pulled back to look at Leah. "Are you crying?" She frowned. It was the weirdest thing to see Leah's eyes teary.

"It's these damn hormones," She sighed dramatically and wiped away a tear that had escaped without her permission. "I cry all the time. The other night, Quil and I were watching TV and a sweet little advert came on. Something about puppies and this new brand of dog food, and I just couldn't help myself. Started crying for nothing."

"I bet Quil finds it hilarious, doesn't he?" Bella chuckled. She understood exactly what her friend was going through.

"You have no idea," She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "He teases me relentlessly. Says if he knew pregnancy would soften me up so much, he would have knocked me up way sooner."

Bella couldn't help but laugh. "That's so typical of Quil. I would have expected nothing less."

"Can you believe he's already talking about having another one? And I'm not even close to popping this one out." She huffed.

"You'll have to get yourself some proper contraception, then. Or else he's going to try everything in his power to 'knock you up' again."

"Tell me about it." She widened her eyes knowingly. "I'll have to talk to my doctor about contraceptive options. Take the strongest one on the market."

Bella shuffled over to the couch, planting herself firmly on the soft seat, and crossed her arms. She wondered how she was going to broach the subject of Charlie and Sue. Wondered how Leah was going to feel about the idea.

Is there something else you wanted to tell me?" Leah prodded, walking over to sit next to Bella, keen eyes narrowed. "I get the feeling you've got something on your mind."

"I wanted to talk to you about an idea that I had a while ago." She began, hoping Leah wouldn't freak out when she explained.

"I'm listening." Leah sounded curious, brow arched as she waited for Bella to continue.

"Have you ever considered our parents together?"

"Together, how?"

"Together, like in a relationship."

"Can't say that I have, no," She shook her head. "But now that you mention it, I can kinda see myself getting into the whole idea. I mean, your dad's been a bachelor for god knows how long, and my mom's been a widow for almost six years now. It's probably time they started thinking about moving on."

"I'm itching to set them up on a blind date. Give them a subtle push in the right direction." Bella pitched her idea. "If Charlie and Sue are forced to be alone in each other's company, perhaps they'd realize there's a spark between them."

"And how do you reckon we'll get them to willingly go on this blind date?" Leah wondered, leaning forward in her seat as her mind worked overtime on ideas.

"That's the thing." Bella shrugged. "I have no idea."

"You could tell your dad you want to have dinner with him, and I'll tell my mom the same. But then we simply don't show up?" Leah suggested.

"It's a good idea, but it won't work." Bella shook her head. "Because if Charlie doesn't see me at the restaurant, he'll probably just try and call me, or head back home."

"Unless..." Leah thought about it for a second. "Unless we say that we'll all be having dinner together. You, me, Charlie and my mom. That we'll meet them there. But we just don't. I'm sure they'll get the hint."

* * *

 **BPOV**

"I'm so sorry, Charlie," Sue apologized, red with embarrassment. "I honestly didn't know what our daughters were planning. If you want to leave, I swear I won't take it personally."

As soon as Charlie and Sue had realized Bella and Leah weren't there, Charlie called Bella up to ask where they were. She had apologized for both Leah and herself, explaining that they weren't going to make it, but that he and Sue should have dinner anyway. Charlie had grunted out that he was on to them, but didn't protest any further, which gave her hope that he might actually be interested in Sue.

"Nonsense," Charlie shook his head and grabbed her hand, making Sue look up with careful eyes. "It's been a really long time since I've been out with anyone besides Bella or the guys. "It's nice to have some female company."

Sue blushed even harder at this, cheeks bright red, but eyes sparkling with delight.

"Oh my god," Leah whispered incredulously and shoulder-bumped Bella. "Do you see that?"

"See what?" Bella wasn't sure to what Leah was referring. The two of them crept a little closer from where they were crouched in hiding on the deck, just outside the open window next to the couple's table, at the same restaurant Embry had taken her for their first date. It was dark outside already, and it made it easier for them to hide from their parents. From where they were standing, they had a perfect view, and could hear everything that was being said. The plan to get their parents to go out for dinner, had worked so ridiculously well, and they hoped that the push they'd given, would be enough to set Charlie and Sue on the right path. Bella had seen them together in the 'dream', or alternative life, or whatever you wanted to call it. They were a perfect match - so ridiculously adorable together, that she was sure they'd hit it off.

"Isn't it obvious?" Leah inclined her chin toward their parents. "My mom is totally crushing on your father. I can't believe I've never noticed it before. But now it all makes sense. The blushing whenever he came around. And the nervous gestures, like the one she'd doing now. Touching the back of her neck. Biting her lower lip."

Bella tried not to squeal as she, too, realized that Leah was right. "I think the feeling is mutual." She added in a low whisper. "I mean, look at how my dad is smiling at your mom. Leaning in closer. And he's not taking his hand off hers. That must mean they like each other." Bella turned her attention to Leah for a moment. "If your mom wasn't interested, she would have moved her hand by now."

"Shhh," Leah silenced Bella, putting a finger to her lips. "They're talking again."

"I can't remember the last time I went out to a restaurant." Sue confessed, and took a drink of water. She swallowed it down and looked up at Charlie, before she continued. "I think Harry was still alive."

Bella squeezed Leah's shoulder in comfort. She knew this must be hard for her to see – her mother possibly moving on, but in the same breath, she was certain that Leah just wanted to see her mother be happy again, even if it was with someone other than her Harry.

Charlie cleared his throat uncomfortably, probably feeling a little guilty for having a date with his late friend's wife. "Looks like we were in dire need of a date, just to get out of the house."

Sue nodded in agreement. "For sure. And I feel like I've been stuck in the kitchen for the better part of a month now. Baking for the local supermarket has kept me way too busy."

"Oh, that's right." He smiled from behind his mustache, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I heard you were the new supplier. How's that going so far?"

"Good, I suppose." Sue shrugged and fingered the checkered table cloth. "But my oven gave in on me three days ago, and I've been using Tiffany's oven for the time being, until I get around to calling an electrician."

"I wouldn't mind taking a look," Charlie offered casually. "I'm not half bad, and if I manage to fix it for you, it'd save you some money."

"Oh my god, B. Your dad is so sneaky." Leah chuckled. "He's trying to secure another date before this one is even over."

"That would be a real help, Charlie," Sue gladly accepted his offer, a smile playing on her full lips. "Thank you."

"I could come by tomorrow if you're free?"

"And as a thank you, I'll cook us a nice dinner once the oven is fixed." Sue said easily.

"Oh, they're so hot for each other," Bella chipped in. "Just look at way your mother is subtly inviting him for dinner. So smooth."

"Okay, I think I've seen enough, though." Leah turned away from the love birds. "They're doing just fine without any further help from us. Let's get out of here before they start kissing. My stomach isn't strong enough for that at the moment."

"Agreed," Bella nodded sharply as they both backed up, trying to keep themselves hidden until they were out of their parents' line of sight.

Once in the clear, they both straightened to their full height, and headed to the car, gravel crunching loudly under their feet in the dark night, satisfied that they'd done what they came here for. Now they had to give it time, and hope for the best. Hope that their parents could get it together on their own. But by the looks of things, they'd be having their second date tomorrow."

* * *

"What were you and Leah up to all night?" Embry asked as he pulled her onto his lap where she'd been sitting on the couch in front of the TV for the last half hour, since she'd gotten back from Leah's.

"Not much," She shrugged, not sure she should tell him about Leah and her playing cupid with their parents.

"Oh really?" Embry lifted his brows as a taunting smirk tugged at his mouth, daring her to continue lying. How he knew her so well, was baffling sometimes. "So, you two weren't at the restaurant earlier, spying on Sue having dinner with your dad?"

"They went out on a date?" Bella pretended to be surprised by his. "I had no idea. That's so cute, don't you think?"

"Uh huh," Embry narrowed his eyes at her. She could tell that he was totally on to her.

"What?" She asked, trying desperately to school her face.

"You're a really bad liar, you know?" He accused, smirking knowingly at her.

"Fine," She gave up. "We set them up on a blind date. Is that a crime?"

"No," He shook his head and chuckled. "It's not a crime, but don't you think you could have been a little subtler when setting them up?"

"They seemed really in to each other," She shrugged. "So subtle or not, Leah and I totally succeeded in our mission. We just gave them a push in the right direction."

"I get it, really." He said. "They both need to move on. But just let them figure it out for themselves from here on out. Let them fall in love naturally."

"Agreed." Bella nodded in understanding. "We set up the opportunity. What they do next, is up to them."

"How's our baby doing?" Embry changed the subject, lazily stroking her belly.

"You tell me?" She threw the question back at him.

Embry cocked his head and kept quiet, listening intently. He had the most beautiful expression on his face as he listened to their baby's heartbeat. "Strong and steady." He said after a minute. "It's the best sound in the world."

"It's so unfair that you get to hear its heartbeat and I don't." She pouted. "I swear if it wasn't for the crying, the nausea and tiredness, I would never have known I was pregnant. I envy your supernatural hearing. You are so lucky that you can hear our baby's heartbeat everyday, and I have to wait for a sonar."

"But you'll get to experience the movement once the baby starts kicking. So I think it's only fair that I get to hear our baby."

 **A/N: What did you think about Leah and Bella's little scheme?**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey all. So I've decided to split this chapter up into two. This is how the lives of the characters come full circle, and part 1 is just an insight into their minds. Thanks so much to Sassy for giving me the idea of splitting it up. It isn't always easy to decide on an ending, and I must admit that it is usually a massive struggle for me.**

 **Thank you to everyone who kept following the story, and reviewed all the way. It really means a lot to me. If you have any requests for what you want to see happen in the epilogue (something you're itching to read about), tell me now, or forever hold your peace...**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

 **xxx**

 **Disclaimer:** Twilight and all its recognizable characters belong to the brilliant Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

 **Chapter 17 - Full circle Part 1:**

 **Old Quil:**

There was a point, not so long ago, that he thought those two kids, Bella and Embry, were not going to open their eyes to what was right in front of them, to save their love in time. Especially Embry.

Wisdom was something that only came with age, but for Old Quil, there had always been this sixth sense, if you will. An ability to see beyond what others could see. To read people better than others could. And thus, know more than others.

From the moment Bella Swan walked into his home and sat down in front of him, he knew without a shadow of a doubt whom she would choose. There was not a doubt in his mind, despite the reason for the curse setting in.

He'd had the opportunity to see Bella's life on both sides. See her fall in love and grow into a woman, with both Jake and Embry. And that was how he knew the choice she'd make, despite him playing devil's advocate. Her love for Embry was beyond compare. And though it was never a perfect love (what love ever was?), he could see the differences in the two relationships - Jake never stood a chance. The key to the situation was letting Bella realize this for herself. She needed to see what she'd be giving up if she didn't choose Embry. Needed to see what everyday would be like living with Jake, and that was why he had encouraged Bella to give her marriage to Jake a real chance.

The real obstacle, though, was Embry and his innate ability to try and please everyone around him. His determination to always do the right thing, despite what he wanted. And forgetting to take that into account, made Old Quil feel like a fool (something that, without meaning to boast, didn't happen very often). The boy had a second chance with Bella, after having given her up once before, to make Jacob happy. And now there was a good chance that he was going to do the same thing yet again. Despite the fire burning between Bella and Embry, the passion and the honest-to-god love they had for each other, he was still willing to set her free to be happy, regardless of his own feelings. Yes, it was selfless. It was the kind of qualities that every woman dreamed of in a man. But it was also tough to compete with.

This had been the main reason he had decided to give Embry a gentle shove in the right direction that day at Sam and Emily's house, after the blessing. In fact, he had to give Bella some encouragement too, because Embry's selflessness had turned things into a complicated mess. And Bella was giving up too easily, after Embry brought Elizabeth into the picture. She had decided for herself that she wasn't going to compete. Couldn't measure up to this woman. But it seemed when one lost faith, the other stepped up to the plate to fight for their love. They just never fought for what they wanted at the same time.

 **Leah:**

If she had to think back on the times she's shared with her friends, family and loved ones, she got a little teary. Admittedly, the pregnancy hormones did play their part. But she also had a heart, despite what some may think. And seeing how far everyone had come, overwhelmed her.

First, there was Quil…

How the fuck could one person irritate you so much? He was the epitome of immaturity and stupidity and a long string of other words that she didn't want to get into. He made it his life's task to tease and taunt her beyond what she had thought she could handle. To grate unwaveringly on her last fucking nerve, with a smirk on his irritating face. All it took was for him to open his mouth, and she was ready to strangle him to a slow death. Or take a hammer to that smirk of his, and mangle his face so good, that he could never look at her again.

He had the worst sense of humor – crass and totally inappropriate. He wasn't funny at all. Or, at least, he wasn't funny in the beginning. And though really sexy and attractive, he wasn't quite her cup of tea. The package deal wasn't what she'd envisioned when she'd thought of the perfect man for her. Not at all.

She didn't remember exactly when it had been that she'd first started to realize her ability to tolerate his immaturity and juvenility, had improved exponentially. She was actually able to stand being in a room with him for longer than five minutes, without wanting to wrap a telephone cord around his neck and pull tight. And for some reason, he had started to look at her differently. There was a fire in his eyes every time she caught his gaze. A longing that made her stomach churn. It made her wary of his intentions when he looked at her the way he had, lately, and soon, he had started following her around like a lovesick puppy. Wherever she was, there he seemed to be too, and it took every ounce of her self-restraint not to chase him out the door.

It had taken her a while to figure out what the hell was going on, until Quil had asked her on a date. She had to admit that the guy had balls of steel, and obviously no sense of self-preservation. But even so, she had refused vehemently, over and over, until she couldn't stand his constant harassment anymore, finally just giving in so he'd see they weren't a good match. But, one date with him had quite the opposite effect to what she had anticipated.

It was strange to experience him as a gentleman (mostly) - sweet, polite and attentive. He listened to her without making inappropriate comments. Without making crass jokes. And, believe it or not, he had managed not to look at her tits for most of the night - a real accomplishment for a guy like him. He treated her the way any man was supposed to treat a woman he was in love with. He became somewhat easier to tolerate, and she found herself enjoying his company more and more. Until, one day, she realized out of the blue, that she was slowly falling in love with Quil Ateara. Shock of her fucking life! Naturally, she couldn't allow it to continue any further. The idea of Quil and her as a couple was simply too ridiculous to entertain, and she made sure to push him away as much as she could. Refused to be alone with him for even a second. Refused any more dates. Refused to give in to his charm.

It didn't work, though. The harder she resisted, the harder Quil tried to win her heart, and after a drunken night at Sam and Emily's, with her judgement severely impaired, she had left with Quil, ending up in his bed. For the rest of the weekend...

Not only had he taken her by surprise with his ability to be a gentleman, but he'd also surprised the hell out of her in the bedroom. She wasn't drunk enough to miss his skills - oh god, how long she had waited for a man who could _wow_ her in the bedroom? Dominate _her_ \- And it happened to be him, of all people, who did just that. As terrible as it was to admit it, after that night (or weekend, to be more specific), she had known without a doubt that there was no turning back. She was done for. She was in love with Quil Ateara. Something she had never seen coming.

Finding out she was pregnant shocked the hell out of her. She'd never been the maternal type. Had never felt the need to reproduce. And Quil knew that pretty well. In fact, she'd made it clear to him on more than one occasion. Even after they had gotten married. So, seeing two pink lines on a pregnancy test after missing her period, should have been the worst thing imaginable. Should have made her freak out. But instead, it had made her cry - she had been surprisingly happy about it. But before she could even tell him about it, he had pointed it out to her. This move had landed him firmly in the doghouse, and more specifically, in the guest bedroom for three whole nights, since he should have known better. She was a difficult person at the best of times, but add pregnancy hormones to the mix, and you got yourself a viperous Leah Ateara, to put it mildly.

Forgiving him eventually, had been way too easy. Though the hormones made her testy and even more disagreeable, it also had the ability to make her softer than she cared to admit. She was looking at Quil with new eyes. He was the reason she was carrying a baby. His baby. And the sight of him so proud and excited about becoming a father, made her turn to mush. What had this man done to her? How had he managed to change her into some maternal, mushy creature?

Finding out that you're pregnant right alongside your best friend, was the best news Leah had ever received. Bella was pregnant too, and the prospect of going through this special time together, made it even more exciting. Their bellies would be growing together, they'd go shopping together, experience and compare movements. And they'd raise their firstborn's together to become best friends. It was something she hadn't thought would happen. Yes, she knew Bella and Embry were planning on having a baby, but she never figured she'd fall pregnant too. All because she had forgotten to take her pill for a week. Forgotten wasn't the right word, actually. She had been meaning to get to the clinic for her pills, but she'd been preoccupied and it had slipped her mind. It was yet another thing about her that had changed, because she'd never before been callous with her chosen method of contraception. In fact, she'd been down-right persnickety about it.

Setting Sue and Charlie up on a date was Bella's deviously brilliant idea. Leah didn't know why she never considered them as a couple? They've both been alone for a very long time, and they got along well. Though it was hard to think of someone replacing her dad, she couldn't think of anyone better than Charlie Swan. He was dependable, honorable, friendly and had a great deal of respect for her mother. He'd been there for Sue when her world had crumbled in on itself, never pushing her for a relationship. Never making a nuisance of himself. He'd simply offered friendship. Until Bella and she had taken it upon themselves to introduce Sue and Charlie to the idea of something more than friendship. They were good people, and deserved some happiness. Deserved a second chance at love.

And then there was Seth, her little brother. Though, he wasn't so little anymore. She missed him a lot these days. He had gotten himself accepted to Med School, with only a few months left before he'd start his Residency, and his presence in her life was meager lately. But she understood. She was so proud of him for chasing his dream, and actually succeeding. It couldn't have been easy to juggle his duties on the Reservation, and find the time to study. But he was doing an excellent job of it. All that was lacking in his life at the moment, was a woman, but Leah knew he'd have time for that later. He'd find himself a girl when the time was right, but getting his medical degree took priority, as it should. Here was a man with his head screwed on straight. A man who'd make some lucky woman very happy someday. And by god, she wasn't going to let any old tramp into Seth's life. She'd be there to ward off any unwanted females, in order to ensure her brother got himself a good woman.

 **Jake:**

He had been in love with Bella Swan ever since he could remember. Probably since the first day they baked mud pies together. Tried his best to win over her heart, but never quite succeeded. As soon as she had laid eyes on Embry, it had been a done deal. She was head over heels for his best friend, and by god, he wasn't going to try and come between those two, when they were obviously so happy together. What had surprised him, was that Embry, not romantically inclined at all, had fared so well in said department. And so, he guessed that the right person would do that to a guy. Change him to become an even better person than he already was. They made a beautiful couple - fit so well together. It became obvious to him that theirs was a forever kind of love, as time passed. Bella was it for Embry. Even a blind man could see it, and the fact that Embry was off the market now, left a lot of girls severely disappointed. But he, Jacob Black, would soon take advantage of that. He wasn't made of stone - had needs, just like everyone else - and for the time being, he'd welcome said girls into his arms, and more specifically, into his bed, to meet those needs. Perhaps one of them would even be his happily ever after.

Jake had to admit that it was hard not to be envious of what they had as the years went by. He was Alpha now, and still, there was no one for him. He'd honestly thought that the mighty leader of the pack would at least be more inclined to find love. And yet, apparently not. When did he get his chance at true love? When was it his turn?

Being Alpha kept him busy enough. He had to deal with a bunch of hooligans at the best of times, and he had the responsibility of keeping his people protected. He was proud to be the leader of the Quileutes, but he wanted somebody to share it with. Somebody to share his life with. A woman that filled his house with her laughter and love, by simply being there. Someone he could wake up to in the mornings.

His job as a mechanic was just another good thing in his life. He was doing what he always loved to do. And he'd made quite a success of his business. But what was the point of being a leader, and doing well for himself financially, if he had to come home to an empty house and a cold bed? Sure, he'd picked up a girl here or there, just to get rid of some tension, and to fool himself into thinking that he had someone in his bed for the night. That he wasn't alone. But when morning came, he always had to face reality.

There had been one girl that he'd thought he might hit it off with, but it was bad timing. Erin Nichols, a girl he'd briefly dated in high school. He had bumped into her by chance one night at a club in Port Angeles a few weeks ago, and they clicked instantly, all over again. She'd been in his school for a brief period of six months, because her father traveled a lot for work. She was used to moving around. Made sure she never got too tied down. Their relationship had been quite casual back then, but if she had stayed longer, he was sure things would have had the potential of becoming more serious. And then, of course, the time had come for her family to move on to the next city, and so, that's what she did - she moved on without looking back.

The night they'd spent together in his bed after coming home from the club, had been passion-filled, fierce and mind-blowing. After all this time, there was still something between them. A spark, an attraction, or maybe a craving. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that, given a proper chance, they could make it something real. But, apparently, it seemed that she didn't feel the same, because when he woke the next morning, she was gone. Bed empty, no note. And he felt disappointed beyond belief. They hadn't even exchanged numbers. The only way to get hold of her was through Facebook, and he didn't want to appear too desperate. So, without much choice, he let it be just another meaningless one-night stand.

 **Charlie:**

Life after Renée had been tough. Theirs had been a whirlwind romance. Fast and fiery, but the flame died out just as quickly. For Renée, at least. It had taken him very many years to get over her after she walked out of his life, and took his only daughter with her, only to send her over for holidays every other year or so.

Their fleeting marriage had started out as a mere summer romance, and to prevent Renée from leaving right after, Charlie had done the only thing he could think of. He got down on one knee and proposed marriage to the woman of his dreams. She had said yes, surprisingly, and he supposed that right there had been the problem. Renée loved to live in the moment, and was prone to making hasty decisions, like accepting said proposal. In all honesty, he knew in the back of his mind that she wasn't the type of woman who took kindly to being tied down for too long. Charlie was, to this day, a hundred percent sure that she had loved him back, and had wanted to marry him. He was even more sure that she hadn't, at the time, realized that saying yes wasn't the right thing for her. She embraced everything in life with open arms, but could never seem to follow through with much of anything. She was a free spirit, blowing from place to place with the wind. And as for her marriage working out with Phil, Charlie guessed that the travelling for his baseball was what kept things interesting for Renée. Her home was Jacksonville, but with Phil, she got to see all kinds of places, and essentially it prevented her from feeling like she was stuck.

It had taken him a long time to be truly happy for her, and an even longer time for him to be happy with himself and the life he lead.

He was grateful that he had his job to keep him occupied. And thanks to his bachelor's life allowing him to put as much of his energy into his work as he wanted, it had lead him to where he was now. Chief of Police.

The only other highlight in his life was his daughter. Bella had looked after him. Filled some of the roles that a wife would have. She cooked, cleaned and did laundry for him. Kept him company when he was home. But he had sometimes wondered if he'd expected too much of her, without giving anything back. She had never complained, and he supposed that's why he never tried to change their arrangement. But maybe it had been unfair to her. She had spent her whole life filling others' roles. She had been the grown-up in the house while Renée had chased high after high, interest after interest, never really settling on anything specific. And then he left her to take care of the chores at home like the selfish bastard he was, throwing himself into work.

It had been an adjustment for him when she moved in with Embry, but he'd decided that it was time for him to grow up and take control of his own life. Learn how to do things on his own. And for over two years, he'd been doing pretty okay. But he was lonely...

And then came the date night with Sue. He hadn't seen it coming. And if he had to admit it to himself, he'd always found Sue very attractive. But she had been his friend's wife. And that had been that. After Harry passed, it had never occurred to him to ask Sue out. She was dealing with the loss of a great man, great father and a great husband. And what kind of impression would it give if he had pursued her back then?

He had been surprised by how easy it was to have dinner with Sue, no awkwardness, except initially, when they'd both realized they'd been set up by the girls.

And every day since that date, since the dinner at Sue's place when he came to fix her stove (and did a mighty fine job of it - not that he was bragging), he woke up with a smile on his face and felt like he had a reason to get up in the morning again. He was falling in love at the ripe age of forty-nine, and it was the best feeling in the world.

 **Bella:**

Trying to figure out if her life with Jacob had been a dream or a reality, was something Bella couldn't do. Being back with Embry was what she wanted with her whole heart. It was where she wanted to be, and some days when she thought back to things with Jake, she was sure it had been real. The memories were still so vivid, after so long. Dreams never stayed as clear, did it? But then there were days when she couldn't believe she was entertaining the idea that it had been real. Seeing everyone around her leading their lives, made her wonder if it had, in fact, been a dream, maybe even a warning to show Bella the consequences of what if's. But it didn't really matter anymore. She'd had a taste of both worlds, whether real or not. And even though she shouldn't have questioned what she had with Embry, she finally knew what she wanted. More importantly, she knew what she had. A good day with Jake had nothing on a normal day with Embry. Their life together was perfectly imperfect, just the way she liked it.

To say that she had felt betrayed by Embry for keeping the 'mark' a secret, was putting it mildly. Being kept out of the loop concerning something as important as this, was not acceptable. Even if Embry had had the best intentions and the best heart, there was something to be said for sitting down with your spouse to discuss a matter like this. Talk about it and come to a decision together. He had wanted to give her a choice to stay or leave, but how could it be considered a choice when she'd never been acknowledged in said decision? Suffice it to say, after eventually calling Embry out on it, she had gotten her say in the matter. She was now a marked woman - Embry's mate for life. So even if the curse really did exist, it wouldn't matter anymore. She was not at risk of going through that again. She wasn't going anywhere, ever again. This was where she wanted to be, and so, this was where she was going to stay.

Time waited for no one. She was already fifteen weeks pregnant, and would soon know the gender of their baby. Embry was convinced that their baby would be a boy, and she had to admit that she thought so too. Whenever she thought about their child, she imagined a chubby-cheeked boy who looked just like Embry. A boy they'd do their best to raise as a good man - like his father. A man with respect for others, bucket-loads of selflessness, and a heart that loved beyond limits.

When she thought back to Sam and Emily's boy being born (whether real or not), she remembered the look Embry had on his face when she held little Eli. That awestruck look. And she couldn't wait to see that same look on his face when she held _their_ child for the first time. Couldn't wait to see him hold their child. There was a point in time where she'd thought they'd never get back to this. That Embry would be moving on with Elizabeth, and that she'd be the lucky one to carry his children.

 **Embry:**

Proud couldn't even begin to describe how he was feeling. He had the best, most beautiful wife in the world, and she was carrying _his_ child. As selfish as it may sound, he felt an immense surge of pride every time he heard the faint bump bump whenever Bella was near, or when he saw her belly growing steadily, day by day, because he'd been the reason for it. They had made a baby together, and honest to god, there was no greater feeling in this world. Boy or girl? Neither of them knew yet. He was sure it would be a boy, but in the end, it didn't matter, as long as it was a healthy baby. And yes, it sounded cliché. But it was the truth. He supposed even if you weren't a first time parent, you always worried about the baby. Would it be healthy? Was there a possibility of defects? Yes, it was a little unsettling to think about, and so he hoped and prayed that their first born would be as perfect as could be.

It had taken him some time to recover from the 'dream' he'd had, because honestly, to find out that your wife had slept with your best friend, left a bitter aftertaste. A churning in the pit of your stomach that threatened to make you physically ill. There was a certain sense of pride that came with knowing you were your wife's first, as terrible as it may sound. Pride in knowing you were her only. And to think that it now no longer applied, hurt a great deal. But the best way he could overcome it and move forward, was to keep telling himself that, even if it were real, it had only been her mind that had crossed into that other life, not her body. And even then, it was hard to accept. But she had never given _this_ body to Jake - the body that had been his, and only his. And to be honest, he couldn't hold a grudge. He hadn't been in Bella's shoes. He had no idea what she had to go through with Jake. And for some reason, it made it easier to accept if he thought about it like this. What mattered most, at the end of the day, was that she had fought tooth and nail to be with him, instead of with Jake. She made her presence in his alternate life known, so much so, that he'd gone from a sound bachelor, to a one-woman man faster than you could say 'whipped'. He had been enthralled and captivated by her from the moment she'd set her foot at his door to find him seeing off one of his regulars. She had captured his attention just like the first day he'd seen her curse at the skies for a flat tyre. And very much like that day, he knew he was fucked. He knew he wanted her...and only her.

And he had her now. She was his. Love of his life. Wife. Marked mate. And soon-to-be mother of his child. _His everything._

Looking back now, a few weeks later, he realized that it wasn't the paramount events that made him as happy as he was now. It was the mundane, everyday things. Run-of-the-mill life, if you could use that word where the supernatural was concerned. Days where you got up in the morning, went to work, came home, cooked together and sat down for a nice dinner, and cuddled in front of the television afterward. Those were the things that determined if you were going to make it through the next fifty years of marriage. Not proposals, or sex or even marking your mate. Yes, those were the important things that helped you move on to the next, but the thrill of hearing your girlfriend say yes, or the solid, unyielding feeling of 'you're mine now', wasn't going to be there every day. Daily life and marriage was a string of normal events that got you from one day to the next, and from one year to five years, and so on. So, if those days weren't enough to keep you satisfied - keep you interested - then what was there? The times where the small things in life were enough to keep you happy and content, were the times that counted most. And it just so happened that these small things were, in fact, the best parts to his day. These were the things that made him smile and say, _I love my life_ and _I wouldn't give this up for anything_.

 **A/N: This isn't the end yet. One more chapter to go, where we get to see them a few years later.**


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